The Englishwoman in Egypt - Letters from Cairo

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Title: The Englishwoman in Egypt - Letters from Cairo
Author: Poole, Sophia Lane, Lane, Edward William
Language: English
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THE
ENGLISHWOMAN IN EGYPT.

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[Illustration: Publisher’s Logo]

THE HOME & TRAVELLER’S LIBRARY SEMI-MONTHLY.

II.

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PHILADELPHIA:

G. B. ZEIBER & CO.

1845.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

No. I.

OF THE

HOME AND TRAVELLER’S LIBRARY

CONTAINED

TEXAS
AND
THE GULF OF MEXICO;

YACHTING IN THE NEW WORLD.
BY MRS. HOUSTOUN.
With Illustrations.

No. II.
THE
ENGLISHWOMAN IN EGYPT.

BY MRS. POOLE.

To be followed, at intervals of about two weeks, by

No. III.
NIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE.

AND

No. IV.
SKETCHES
OF
CREDULITY, IMPOSTURE AND DECEPTION.

ETC. ETC. ETC.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Illustration: From the Library Of…]

II.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE

ENGLISHWOMAN IN EGYPT;

LETTERS FROM CAIRO,

WRITTEN DURING A RESIDENCE THERE IN 1842, 3, & 4.

WITH

E. W. LANE, ESQ.,

AUTHOR OF “THE MODERN EGYPTIANS.”

BY HIS SISTER.

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PHILADELPHIA:

G. B. ZIEBER & CO.

1845.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. SHERMAN, PRINTER, PHILADELPHIA.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PREFACE.

----------

The desire of shortening the period of my separation from a beloved
brother, was the first and strongest motive that induced me to think of
accompanying him to the country in which I am now writing, and which he
was preparing to visit for the third time. An eager curiosity, mainly
excited by his own publications, greatly increased this desire; and
little persuasion on his part was necessary to draw me to a decision;
but the idea was no sooner formed than he found numerous arguments in
its favour. The opportunities I might enjoy of obtaining an insight into
the mode of life of the higher classes of the ladies in this country,
and of seeing many things highly interesting in themselves, and rendered
more so by their being accessible only to a lady, suggested to him the
idea that I might both gratify my own curiosity, and collect much
information of a novel and interesting nature, which he proposed I
should embody in a series of familiar letters to a friend. To encourage
me to attempt this latter object, he placed at my disposal a large
collection of his own unpublished notes, that I might extract from them,
and insert in my letters whatever I might think fit; and in order that I
might record my impressions and observations with less restraint than I
should experience if always feeling that I was writing for the press, he
promised me that he would select those letters which he should esteem
suitable for publication, and mark them to be copied. The present
selection has been made by him; and I fear the reader may think that
affection has sometimes biased his judgment; but am encouraged to hope
for their favourable reception, for the sake of the more solid matter
with which they are interspersed, from the notes of one to whom Egypt
has become almost as familiar as England.

SOPHIA POOLE.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS.

LETTER I.

Approach to Alexandria—Old and new 13
harbours—General aspect of the town—Costume and
appearance of the inhabitants—Shops and
shopkeepers—European part of town—Pharos (or
lighthouse)

LETTER II.

Situation and construction of Alexandria—Supply of 21
water—Climate and degree of
salubrity—Telegraphs—City wall—Cleopatra’s
Needle—Pompey’s Pillar—Tradition respecting the
burning of the Alexandrian Library—Necropolis of
Alexandria

LETTER III.

Voyage from Alexandria to Cairo—Canal from 31
Alexandria to the Nile—Boats on the Nile—Town of
Fooweh—Village of Shubra Kheet—Ancient town of
Sais, and present state of the remains—Egyptian
festivals—Voyage up the Nile—Boats and
boatmen—Instances of mirage—Banks of the
Nile—Arrival at Boulak, and equipment in
Egyptian costume—Ride from Boulak to Cairo

LETTER IV.

Arrival at Cairo—Bridal processions—Funeral 43
processions—General form of construction of the
better class of houses in Cairo—Annoyance
arising from the supposed visits of an ’efreet
(evil spirit or ghost)—Extraordinary noises made
by the supposed ’efreet—Want of cleanliness of
the female servants

LETTER V.

General physical sketch of Egypt—Lower Egypt—The 52
Nile—The valleys of the Nile—Soil and
cultivation—Annual inundation of Lower Egypt by
the Nile—Gradual rise and decrease of the
river—Use of the water for drinking—Rapidity of
the current, and navigation of the river

LETTER VI.

Physical sketch of Egypt, continued—Climate of 59
Egypt—Heat—Infrequency of rain—Prevalence of
northwesterly winds—Other winds—Khamáseen
winds—The Samoom—Whirling pillars of sand—The
‘saráb,’ or mirage—Irrigation of the
fields—Physical and agricultural calendar of
Egypt for each month of the year

LETTER VII.

The Ramadán, or month of abstinence—Severity of 70
the fasting—Imposing effect of the night-call to
prayer by the Mueddins—Meals at night during the
Ramadán—Oppressive heat, and annoyance
occasioned by insects and vermin—Flies,
musquitoes, bugs, fleas, rats, lizards, spiders,
scorpions—Extraordinary storm of wind—Unusual
rise of the Nile—Murrain among the cattle

LETTER VIII.

Danger in travelling through the streets of 76
Cairo—Prejudice against Europeans, and
oppressive treatment of Christians and
Jews—Procession of the Mahmal, preparatory to
the departure of the great caravan of pilgrims
for Mekkah—Origin of the ceremony of the Mahmal

LETTER IX.

General appearance of Cairo—Narrowness of the 81
‘shárës,’ or great thoroughfare-streets, and
inconveniences of transit through them—Costume
of the inhabitants, as seen in the
streets—Shops—‘Darbs,’ or by-streets—‘Sooks,’ or
markets—Kháns—Khán
El-Khaleelee—‘Wekáleh-el-Gellábeh,’ or market of
the slave-merchants—Quarters of the Jews,
Greeks, Copts, and Franks—Vacant spaces, lakes,
cemeteries, and gardens of the
city—‘El-Khaleeg,’ the canal which traverses the
city—General description of the mosques

LETTER X.

Difficulty experienced by Europeans of obtaining 91
access to the interiors of the principal
mosques—Mosque of the Hasaneyn—Custom of taking
off the shoes or slippers—El-Záme-el-Azhar, or
‘the splendid mosque’—Paupers supported in the
mosques—Variety of scenes presented by
worshippers, lecturers, and students—Mosque of
Mohammed Bey—Ruinous state of the mosque of the
Khaleefeh El-Hákim

LETTER XI.

Collegiate mosque called Barkookeeyeh—Tomb, 97
mosque, and hospital of the Sultán
Kalá-oon—State and treatment of the lunatics
confined in the máristán, or hospital—Anecdotes
concerning the lunatics—Mosques of the Sultán
El-Ghóree, the Sultán El-Mu-eiyad, and the
Sultán Hasan—Mosque of Ibn-Tooloon—Ruined castle
or palace called Kal’at-el-Kebsh, or Castle of
the Ram—Sebeels, or public fountains—Hods, or
watering-places for beasts of burden—Hammáms, or
public baths—Kahwehs, or coffee-shops

LETTER XII.

Citadel of Cairo—Ruins of the old palace called 108
Kasr Yoosuf, or Deewán Yoosuf—Remarkable view of
Cairo from the edge of the hill on which are the
remains of ‘the house of Yoosuf
Saláh-ed-Deen’—The celebrated well of Yoosuf
Saláh-ed-Deen—Mount Mukattam—Cemeteries—Lakes
and gardens—Aqueduct by which the water of the
Nile is conveyed to the citadel—Island of
Er-Ródah, or ‘island of the garden’—Town of Masr
el-’Ateekah—Mosque of ’Amr—Kasr esh-Shema, an
old Roman fortress—Town of El-Geezeh—Shubra, the
favourite country residence of the Pasha—Site of
Heliopolis—Village of El-Khánkeh

LETTER XIII.

Various noises made in “the haunted house” by the 119
supposed ’efreet—Appearances and proceedings of
the pretended spirit—is shot at by one of the
servants

LETTER XIV.

Visits to some of the principal hareems—Necessity 124
of riding the high ass in paying visits to the
high hareems—Hareem apartments—Costume of the
Turkish ladies—Ceremonial observance—Use of the
Turkish and Arabic languages—Manners and customs
of the ladies of the East—Fountains and
baths—Ceremony of re-attiring and taking leave

LETTER XV.

The “haunted house”—Climate of Egypt—State of the 131
poor—Respect paid to the mother of a family—The
wife—Preparation of food and manner of
eating—Eastern etiquette—Dinner
arrangements—Sacredness of the hareem, and
respect paid to females—Usage of marrying
without having seen the future wife

LETTER XVI.

Treatment of slaves in Egypt—Dancing and 139
singing—Influence and power of wives among the
higher classes, and tyranny of husbands among
the lower classes—Employments of females in the
hareem—Beauty of the embroidery executed by
them—Can seldom read and write

LETTER XVII.

Plague in Egypt—Means used to ascertain whether 144
the disease be contagious or not—Enforcement of
quarantine—Egypt visited by pestilence, murrain,
and locusts—Extravagance of marriage
festivities—Fondness of the Egyptians for
gardens and water—Extreme heat

LETTER XVIII.

Distress exhibited by the females of the hareem of 149
a Turkish grandee, in consequence of his
imprisonment—Fear of the ‘evil eye’—Interest
which the ladies of the hareem take in
politics—Courteous manners of the chief ladies,
and dress and ornaments worn by them—Large
serpent—Serpent-charmers—Intended repairs of
Cairo—An instance of pretended death and burial.

LETTER XIX.

Visit to the hareem of Mohammad ’Alee—Decorations 156
of the rooms and splendour of the
furniture—Reception by the wives of the
Pasha—Dinner, dinner-arrangements, and courtesy
displayed by the chief ladies—Number of
beautiful women in the hareem of Mohammad
’Alee—Description of the dress worn by the
Turkish ladies in Egypt

LETTER XX.

Etiquette of the hareems as to order and 164
precedence—Arrangement of the apartments, and
doorkeepers—Facility of admission to the houses
of grandees, as distinct from the
hareems—Turkish etiquette and French
politeness—Organization of the hareems—Modesty
of the females—Prejudices against
Christianity—Maternal tenderness, and
superstitions of the ‘evil eye,’—Uncouth dresses
worn by the females in winter—Climate in winter,
and storm of thunder and rain

LETTER XXI.

Visit to the eldest daughter of Mohammad 172
’Alee—Affability of the reception, company
present, and general ceremonial of visiting—Her
Highness’s pipes—Bridal processions among the
middle classes—Ignominious punishment of four
lawyers—Circumstances connected with the early
marriage of females

LETTER XXII.

Treatment of females in the hareems—Cruelty 178
practised by the middle and lower
orders—Missionary Society in Cairo—Instances of
cruel treatment of wives, children and slaves
Muslim ceremonies with respect to the dead—hired
mourners, &c.—Cemeteries and tombs—Tombs of the
family of Mohammed ’Alee

LETTER XXIII.

Visit to the pyramids—Approach to the pyramids, 186
and inadequate idea of their dimensions—Tombs
occupied as dwellings—Circumstances connected
with Mr. Lane’s visit to the pyramids in
1825—Guards and attendants at the present
visit—Description of the Great Pyramid—Dr.
Lepsius’s account of the mode of
construction—Present state of the exterior of
the Great Pyramid—View from the top—Dangers to
which visitors to the pyramids are exposed

LETTER XXIV.

Description of the interior of the Great 201
Pyramid—Opinions concerning it

LETTER XXV.

Description of the Second Pyramid—The Third 213
Pyramid—Other Pyramids—The Great Sphinx—Bedawees

LETTER XXVI.

Performances of the celebrated magician of the 219
city of Cairo

LETTER XXVII.

Description of the baths for females in the city 225
of Cairo—Arrangement of the apartments, and
appearance of the females—Operations of the bath

LETTER XXVIII.

Wives of Mohammad ’Alee—Visit to his hareem in the 228
citadel—Apartments and reception—Ceremony on
quitting this hareem—Visit to the hareem of
Habeeb Efendee—Courteous behaviour of his wife
and daughters, and political conversation with
them—Mrs. Damer’s “Tour”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE

ENGLISHWOMAN IN EGYPT.

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LETTER I.

Alexandria, July, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

The blessing of going into port, at the conclusion of a first long
voyage, awakens feelings so deep and so lasting, that it must form a
striking era in the life of every traveller. Eagerly, during a long
morning, did I and my children strain our eyes as the low uninteresting
coast of Egypt spread before our view, that we might catch the first
glimpse of one or more of those monuments of which we had hitherto only
heard or read. The first object which met our view was the Arab Tower,
which stands on a little elevation; and shortly after, the new
lighthouse on the peninsula of the Pharos, and the Pasha’s army of
windmills, showed our near approach to Alexandria, and the Pillar
(commonly called Pompey’s) seemed to rise from the bay.

The coast presents to the Mediterranean a long sandy flat, bearing
throughout a most desolate aspect, and in no part more so than in the
neighbourhood of Alexandria. To the west of this town we see nothing but
a tract of yellowish calcareous rock and sand, with here and there a few
stunted palm-trees, which diversify but little the dreary prospect.

The old or western harbour (anciently called Eunostus Portus) is deeper
and more secure than the new harbour (which is called Magnus Portus).
The former, which was once exclusively appropriated to the vessels of
the Muslims, is now open to the ships of all nations; and the latter,
which was “the harbour of the infidels,” is almost deserted. The
entrance of the old harbour is rendered difficult by reefs of rocks,
leaving three natural passages, of which the central has the greatest
depth of water. The rocks occasion a most unpleasant swell, from which
we all suffered, but I especially; and I cannot describe how thankfully
I stepped on shore, having passed the smooth water of the harbour. Here
already I see so much upon which to remark, that I must indulge myself
by writing two or three letters before our arrival in Cairo, where the
state of _Arabian_ society being unaltered by European innovations, I
hope to observe much that will interest you with respect to the
condition of the native female society. I do not mean to give you many
remarks on the manners and customs of the male portion of the people, my
brother having written so full a description of them, the correctness of
which has been attested by numerous persons, who cannot be suspected (as
his sister might be) of undue partiality.

To tell you of our landing, of the various and violent contentions of
the Arab boatmen for the conveyance of our party, of our really polite
reception at the customhouse, and of our thankfulness when enjoying the
quiet of our hotel, would be to detain you from subjects far more
interesting; but I long to describe the people by whom we were
surrounded, and the noisy crowded streets and lanes through which we
passed. The streets, until we arrived at the part of the town inhabited
by Franks, were so narrow that it was extremely formidable to meet any
thing on our way. They are miserably close, and for the purpose of
shade, the inhabitants have in many cases thrown matting from roof to
roof, extending across the street, with here and there a small aperture
to admit light; but the edges of these apertures are generally broken,
and the torn matting hanging down: in short, the whole appearance is
gloomy and wretched. I ought not, however, to complain of the narrowness
of the streets, for where the sun is not excluded by matting, the deep
shade produced by the manner in which the houses are constructed, is
most welcome in this sunny land; and, indeed, when we arrived at the
Frank part of the town, which is in appearance almost European, and
where a wide street and a fine open square, form a singular contrast to
the Arab part of the town, we scarcely congratulated ourselves; for the
heat was intense, and we hastened to our hotel, and gratefully enjoyed
the breeze which played through the apartments. I hear that many persons
prefer the climate of Alexandria to that of Cairo, and pronounce it to
be more salubrious; but a Caireen tells me that their opinion is
false—that it is certainly cooler, but that the air is extremely damp,
and although the inhabitants generally enjoy a sea-breeze, that luxury
involves some discomfort.

But I must tell you of the people; for there appeared to my first view
none but dignified grandees, in every variety of costume, and miserable
beggars, so closely assembled in the narrow streets, that it seemed as
though they had congregated on the occasion of some public festival. On
examining more closely, however, I found many gradations in the style of
dress of the middle and higher classes; but the manner of the Eastern
(even that of the well-clothed servant) is so distinguished, and their
carriage is so superior, that a European glancing for the first time at
their picturesque costume, and observing their general bearing, may be
perfectly at a loss as to what may be their position in society.

I believe that I have already seen persons of almost every country
bordering on the Mediterranean, and I can convey but a very imperfect
idea of such a scene. The contrast between the rich and gaudy habits of
the higher classes, and the wretched clothing of the barefooted poor,
while many children of a large growth are perfectly in a state of
nudity, produced a most remarkable effect. The number of persons nearly
or entirely blind, and especially the aged blind, affected us
exceedingly, but we rejoiced in the evident consideration they received
from all who had occasion to make room for them to pass. I should
imagine that all who have visited this country have remarked the decided
respect which is shown to those who are superior in years; and that this
respect is naturally rendered to the beggar as well as to the prince. In
fact, the people are educated in the belief that there is honour in the
“hoary head,” and this glorious sentiment strengthens with their
strength, and beautifully influences their conduct.

Many of the poor little infants called forth painfully my sympathy:
their heads drooped languidly; and their listless, emaciated limbs
showed too plainly that their little race was nearly run; while the
evident tenderness of their mothers made me grieved to think what they
might be called on to endure. You will naturally infer that I expect few
children to pass the season of infancy, and you will conclude justly;
for I cannot look at these little creatures, and suppose that they will
survive what is here the most trying time, the season of dentition. I
may have been unfortunate; for among the numerous infants we have
passed, I have only seen two who were able to hold their heads in an
erect position, and, indeed, of those past infancy, most were very
wretched-looking children. Over their dark complexions there is white
leprous hue, and they have a quiet melancholy manner, and an air of
patient endurance, which affected me sensibly.

It is sad to see the evident extreme poverty of the lower orders; and
the idle, lounging manner of the working class surprised me: and yet
when called on to labour, I am informed that no people work so heartily,
and so patiently. I rather think they are very like their good camels in
disposition, with the exception that the latter scold often if an
attempt be made to overload them, and in some cases will not rise from
their knees until relieved of part of their burden, while the Arabs
really suffer themselves to be built up with loads as though they had no
more sense of oppression than a truck or a wheelbarrow. The Arab groom,
too, will run by the side of his master’s horse for as many hours as he
requires his attendance without a murmur. The physical strength of these
people is most extraordinary. I had an opportunity of remarking this
during the removal of our luggage from the boat.

The windows of our hotel command a view of the great square, and I can
scarcely describe to you the picturesque attraction of the scene. Among
the various peculiarities of dress, feature, and complexion, which
characterize the natives of Africa and the East, none are more striking
than those which distinguish the noble and hardy western Bedawee,
enveloped as he is in his ample woollen shirt, or hooded cloak, and
literally clothed suitably for a Russian winter. You will believe that
my attention has been directed to the veiled women, exhibiting in their
dull disguise no other attraction than a degree of stateliness in their
carriage, and a remarkable beauty in their large dark eyes, which,
besides being sufficiently distinguished by nature, are rendered more
conspicuous by the black border of kohl round the lashes, and by the
concealment of the rest of the features. The camel-drivers’ cries of
“O’a,” “Guarda,” and “Sákin,”[1] resound every where, and at every
moment, therefore, you may imagine the noise and confusion in the
streets.

Footnote 1:

“Take care,” in Arabic, Italian, and Turkish.

In the open space before the hotel, there are long trains of camels
laden with water-skins, or with bales of merchandise, winding slowly and
cautiously along even in this wide place, while their noiseless tread,
and their dignified (I might almost say affected) walk, at once
distinguishes them from all other beasts of burden.

I must not omit mentioning the shops of Alexandria, for they resemble
cupboards rather than rooms; and this I understand to be the case in
most Turkish and Arabic cities. A raised seat of brick or stone about
three feet high, and the same or more in width, extends along each side
of the street, and upon this the tradesman sits before his shop, either
smoking or at work. It is really amusing to see how easily they appear
to gain their livelihood: the fact is, that they are an exceedingly
contented people, and there is much of real philosophy in their
conclusions. They are seldom disposed, when working on their own
account, to labour for more than enough, and have the quality, so rarely
found in Europe, of considering that enough is as desirable as
abundance: therefore they are happy, and “their best riches, ignorance
of wealth.” I have observed, at corners of the streets, or wherever else
there was sufficient space, groups of men and women seated on the
ground, with baskets before them containing bread and vegetables for
sale.

The quarter occupied by the Europeans is the southeastern part of the
town, by the shore of the new harbour. This situation I conclude was
chosen for the convenience of landing and shipping their merchandise;
but now that the old harbour is open to their vessels, the situation is
not so advantageous for them. On the east side of the great square is a
large building called the New Wekáleh (by the Europeans Occále), for the
reception of merchants and others, on the shore of the new harbour. It
surrounds a spacious square court; and the ground-floor of the building
consists of magazines towards the court, and shops and the entrances of
the dwellings towards the exterior.

My brother has given me a piece of information with regard to the
present Pharos, which you shall receive in his own words:—

“The modern Pharos is a poor successor of the ancient building, erected
by Sostratus Cnidius, from which it derives its name; though from a
distance it has rather an imposing appearance. Several Arab historians
mention the telescopic mirror of metal which was placed at the summit of
the ancient Pharos. In this mirror, vessels might be discerned at sea at
a very great distance. El-Makreezee[2] informs us that the Greeks, being
desirous of effecting the destruction of the Pharos, or of obtaining
possession of the wonderful mirror, employed a deep stratagem. One of
their countrymen repaired to the sovereign of the Arabs, El-Weleed the
son of ’Abd-el-Melik, and professed himself a convert to the faith of
El-Islám, pretending that he had fled from his king, who would have put
him to death. He informed the prince that he had acquired, from certain
books in his possession, the art of discovering where treasures were
concealed in the earth, and had thus ascertained that there was a
valuable treasure, consisting of money and jewels, deposited beneath the
foundation of the Pharos of Alexandria. The prince, deceived by this
artful tale, sent a number of workmen with his crafty adviser to pull
down the Pharos; and when more than half the building had been
destroyed, the Greek made his escape to his own country, and his
artifice thus became manifest. The same author relates that part of the
Pharos was thrown down by an earthquake, in the year of the Flight 177
(A. D. 793–4); that Ahmad Ibn-Tooloon surmounted it with a dome of wood;
and that an inscription upon a plate of lead was found upon the northern
side, buried in the earth, written in ancient Greek characters, every
letter of which was a cubit in height, and a span in breadth. This was
perhaps the inscription placed by the original architect, and which,
according to Strabo, was to this effect—‘Sostratus Cnidius, the son of
Dexiphanes, to the protecting gods, for the sake of the mariners.’ It is
also related by Es-Sooyootee,[3] that the inhabitants of Alexandria
likewise made use of the mirror above mentioned to burn the vessels of
their enemies, by directing it so as to reflect the concentrated rays of
the sun upon them.”

Footnote 2:

El-Makreezee flourished in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Footnote 3:

A celebrated Arab theologian and historian, so called from his
birth-place Usyoot, or Suyoot (commonly pronounced Asyoot), in Upper
Egypt.

The causeway of stone which connects the fort and lighthouse with the
peninsula of Pharos, is now called Ródat-et-Teen (or the Garden of the
Fig), on account of a few fig-trees growing there. Its southwestern
extremity is called Rás-et-Teen (or the Cape of the Fig). Upon this
rocky peninsula are a palace of the Pasha, and some other buildings,
with the burial-ground of the Muslims, adjacent to the town.

I must endeavour in my next letter to give you a brief general account
of the town, and must close this by remarking on the affecting sound of
the Mueddin’s chant or Muslim call to prayer. I should be grieved to
think that we are impressed by the solemnity of their sonorous voices,
simply because we hear them for the first time; and trust we may always
feel a mixture of pity and admiration when we believe our
fellow-creatures to be in earnest in the service of God, however
mistaken their opinions. The sight of the Muslim engaged in his
devotions I think most interesting; and it cannot fail, I should hope,
in impressing the beholder with some degree of veneration. The attitudes
are peculiarly striking and expressive; and the solemn demeanour of the
worshipper, who, even in the busy market-place, appears wholly
abstracted from the concerns of the world, is very remarkable. The
practice of praying in a public place is so general in the East, and
attracts so little notice on the part of Muslims, that we must be
charitable, and must not regard it as a result of hypocrisy or
ostentation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER II.

Alexandria, July, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

We find little to interest us in this place, excepting by association
with bygone times; therefore our stay will not be long. But I will give
you concisely an account of all that has excited our curiosity.

I am not disappointed in Alexandria (or, as it is called by the natives,
El-Iskendereeyeh), for I did not imagine it could possess many
attractions. It is built upon a narrow neck of land, which unites the
peninsula of Pharos to the continent, and thus forms a double harbour,
as did anciently the causeway, which, from its length of seven stadia,
was called the Heptastadium.

The ground which is occupied by the modern town has been chiefly formed
by a gradual deposit of sand on each side of the Heptastadium; and the
present situation is more advantageous for a commercial city than the
ancient site. The houses are generally built of white calcareous stone,
with a profusion of mortar and plaster. Some have the foundation walls
only of stone, and the superstructure of brick. They generally have
plain or projecting windows of wooden lattice-work; but the windows of
some houses, viz., those of Europeans, the palaces of the Pasha, the
Governor of Alexandria, and a few others, are of glass. The roofs are
flat and covered with cement. There is little to admire in the interior
architecture of the houses, excepting that they have a substantial
appearance. Many ancient columns of granite and marble have been used in
the construction of the mosques and private dwellings.

The water here is far from good; the inhabitants receive their supply
from the cisterns under the site of the ancient city (of which I must
tell you by and by). These are filled by subterranean aqueducts from the
canal during the time of the greatest height of the Nile; but in
consequence of the saline nature of the soil through which it passes
from the river, the water is not good. Almost every house has its
cistern, which is filled by means of skins borne by camels or asses; and
there are many wells of brackish water in the town.

As the northern coast of Egypt has no harbour, excepting those of
Alexandria, it is a place of considerable importance as the emporium and
key of Egypt; but otherwise it appears to me in no respect a desirable
residence, and around it nothing but sea and desert meets the eye,
excepting here and there the house of a rich man, and scattered in every
direction extensive mounds of rubbish. Ancient writers have extolled the
salubrity of the air of Alexandria. This quality of the air was
attributed, according to Strabo, to the almost insular situation of the
city, the sea being on one side, and the lake Mareotis on the other. The
_insalubrity_ of the climate, of later years, has been regarded as the
result of the conversion of the lake into a salt marsh. The English
army, in 1801, made a cut by which the water of the sea was admitted
from the lake of Aboo-Keer into the bed of the lake Mareotis; and the
operation was repeated by Mohammed ’Alee in 1803, and again by the
English in 1807: on each occasion, as you will have supposed, military
policy dictated the measure; and as soon as the object in view had been
attained, the gap was speedily closed, as it cut off the supply of fresh
water from Alexandria by interrupting the course of the canal. While the
communication between the two lakes remained open, it was not found that
the climate of Alexandria was at all improved; and the evaporation of
the waters of the lake Mareotis afterwards must have had a pernicious
effect. The damp and rain during the winter here, and the heavy dew at
night throughout the year, have a particularly baneful influence. Cases
of fever are very general; and it is always observed that this town is
one of the places where the plague makes its appearance many days
earlier than in the interior of Egypt. With all these objections to
Alexandria as a place of residence, it is wonderful that any persons
should prefer it, and consider the climate more agreeable than that of
the valley of the Nile, which all allow to be so salubrious.

There is a series of telegraphs from Alexandria to the metropolis, a
distance of more than a hundred and twenty British miles. The towers
composing this series are nineteen in number; the first is on the
peninsula of Pharos, and the last in the citadel of Cairo.

The wall which surrounds the site of the old Arab city was rebuilt not
many years since. This work was commenced in 1811. Mohammed ’Alee,
fearing another invasion of the French, deemed it necessary to
strengthen this place; for the wall I have mentioned defends the town on
the land side, and surrounds the cisterns from which the inhabitants
derive their supply of fresh water. The wall has four gates, and I
cannot describe to you the complete scene of desolation which presented
itself on entering the enclosure by that gate, which is nearest to the
modern town, the “sea-gate;” indeed, it can scarcely be conceived: for
mounds of rubbish and drifted sand occupy nearly the whole site of the
ancient city. Within the area surrounded by the present wall, besides
some monuments of the ancient city, are two convents and a synagogue,
several groups of houses and huts, with a few walled gardens containing
chiefly palm-trees.

You will think it strange when I tell you that there are also two lofty
hills of rubbish, each of which is surmounted by a fort, commanding an
extensive view. It appears to me most extraordinary that any persons
should choose such a foundation; but I understand it is far from
remarkable, and that these accidental eminences are improved to
advantage in this flat country, the face of which in a course of years
has undergone important changes, from the habit of the people of leaving
crumbling ruins to accumulate. Here the line of the principal street can
be traced, extending in a straight direction from the shore of the old
harbour to the Gate of Resheed,[4] which is at the eastern extremity of
the enclosure; and the direction of the other great street, which
crossed the former at right angles, is observable.

Footnote 4:

Resheed is the name of the town which the English call Rosetta.

It must have been an extensive city, but it is impossible to mark its
precise limits. Certainly its remains alone convey an idea of its having
been a flourishing town, and considerably more important than the Arab
city which succeeded it.

Desiring to see the obelisks before the heat of the day, we set out
early, and having passed the great square, we entered the field of
ruins, and found a number of peasants loitering among miserable huts,
while a few children, in a state of nudity, and extremely unsightly in
form, were standing or sitting in the entrances of their dwellings. I
was grieved to see that the bodies of these poor little children were
distended to a most unnatural size; while their limbs, which were very
thin and small, appeared, from the contrast, to be sadly emaciated.

Among the mounds we observed the mouths of some of the ancient cisterns;
each, with few exceptions, having the hollowed marble base of an ancient
column placed over it. The cisterns seem to have extended under a great
part of the ancient city; and there remain a sufficient number of them
open and in good repair for the supply of the modern town. They have
arched or vaulted roofs, which are supported by columns or by square
pillars, and some of them have two or three ranges of pillars and
arches, one above another, and are very extensive.

We saw little worthy of remark until we reached the obelisks, which are
situated at an angle of the enclosure, almost close to the shore of the
new harbour; I mean those obelisks called Cleopatra’s Needles. Each is
composed of a single block of red granite, nearly seventy feet in
length, and seven feet and a half wide at the base. And here I wondered,
as so many have done before me, that the ancient Egyptians contrived to
raise such solid masses, and concluded that their knowledge of
machinery, of which they have left such extraordinary proofs, must have
been remarkable indeed.

Three lines of hieroglyphics adorn each of the four faces of either
monument. My brother tells me that the central line bears the title and
name of Thothmos the Third, who appears, from strong evidence, to have
reigned shortly before the departure of the Israelites from Egypt: the
lateral lines were sculptured at a later period; for they bear the name
of Rameses the Great, or Sesostris. The inscriptions near the base of
the erect obelisk seemed nearly obliterated, and the prostrate one is so
encumbered with rubbish, that much of it is concealed. Pliny relates
that Rameses erected four obelisks at Heliopolis: those of Alexandria
are perhaps two of the four thus alluded to. Their antiquity being so
much greater than that of Alexandria, suggests the probability of their
having been taken from Heliopolis to adorn a temple or palace in the new
city. The fact of the name of Rameses the Great being sculptured on them
may have given rise to the tradition that they were _erected_ by that
king. An adjacent fort occupies the site of an old tower which belonged
to the former wall (that is, to the _old_ wall of the _Arab_ city), and
which was called by European travellers “the Tower of the Romans;” as it
was apparently of Roman origin. Near this, standing on a mound of
rubbish, we saw the shore of the new harbour, behind the wall on the
left of the fort.

When the British army was in Alexandria in 1801, operations were
commenced for transporting the fallen obelisk to England; but the
commander-in-chief refusing to sanction the undertaking, it was
abandoned, and nothing is said of its being resumed, although Mohammed
’Alee offered the monument to us some years ago.

After viewing the obelisks, we thankfully turned homewards, for the sun
had risen, and the heat became intense.

Not far from the eastern gate (perhaps two miles and a half) is the
field of the memorable battle of the 21st of March, 1801, in which Sir
Ralph Abercrombie, who commanded our victorious army, received his
mortal wound. At the spot where the battle raged most furiously, by the
sea-shore, is a quadrangular enclosure, surrounded by substantial, but
now ruined walls, constructed of calcareous stone and large bricks, in
distinct layers, like many other Roman buildings. The ruin is called
Kasr-el-Káyasireh (or the Pavilion, or Palace, of the Cæsars). It marks
the site of a small town, which received the name of Nicopolis, in
commemoration of a famous victory obtained there by Octavius Cæsar over
Antony.

The pillar called Pompey’s is undoubtedly a magnificent monument. The
shaft of the column is a single block of red granite, sixty-eight feet
in height, and nine feet in diameter at the bottom, according to my
brother’s measurement. The capital is a block of the same kind of stone,
and is ten feet high. The base, plinth, and pedestal are likewise of red
granite, and each is a single block. The combined length of these three
pieces is seventeen feet. The total height of this superb monument is
therefore ninety-five feet; and the substructure, which is partly
modern, is four feet in height. The shaft is beautifully wrought, but
sadly disfigured by numerous names inscribed in very large characters,
with black paint. They have mostly been written by persons who have
ascended to the summit. This they have contrived by flying a large paper
kite, and causing it to descend so that the cord rested on the top of
the capital; by these means, they succeeded in drawing a stout rope over
it; and having accomplished this (to use the naval term) they easily
“rigged shrouds,” by which to ascend. This exploit has been performed
several times, generally by naval officers, who have caused the name of
their ship to be painted on the shaft.

Among the adventurers, an English lady once ascended to the summit.
There is a Greek inscription on the pedestal, but it can only be faintly
seen when the rays of the sun fall obliquely upon the surface of the
stone. Every traveller who examined the Pillar since the time of Pococke
believed the inscription to be entirely obliterated, until Colonel
Squire again discovered it. That gentleman with Mr. Hamilton and Colonel
Leake deciphered (with the exception of a few characters) the lines,
four in number, which record the dedication, by a “Prefect of Egypt”
(whose name is almost illegible), to the “most revered Emperor, the
protecting divinity of Alexandria, Diocletian the Invincible.” The name
of the “Prefect” also has since been deciphered by Sir Gardner
Wilkinson—it is Publius. This inscription certainly proves that the
column, or the building in which it stood, was _dedicated_ to the Roman
emperor whose name is thus recorded, but not that the column was
_erected_ in honour of that individual, any more than the lateral lines
on the obelisks which I have described prove that they were erected in
the reign of Sesostris.

I may here briefly give you the tradition respecting the burning of the
Alexandrian library (deriving my information from my brother), which
took place in the time of ’Omar, as it is connected with the history of
the great pillar. ’Abd-el-Lateef and El-Makreezee affirm, that this
pillar originally belonged to a magnificent building, containing a
library, which ’Amr, the Arab general, burned by the command of ’Omar. A
particular account of the burning of this library is given by
Abu-l-Faraj; but the statement of that author has been disbelieved,
because the story is related by few other writers; yet why should they
record what they considered an event of scarcely any importance? It is
evident from the slight manner in which ’Abd-el-Lateef and El-Makreezee
mention the fact, that they regarded it as a very unimportant
occurrence. They allude to it merely as connected with the history of
the great Pillar. The former says, “Here was the library which ’Amr
Ibn-el-’A’s burned by permission of ’Omar.” El-Makreezee says, “The
Pillar is of a red speckled stone; hard and flinty. There were around it
about four hundred columns which Karaja, Governor of Alexandria in the
time of the Sultán Saláh-ed-Deen Yoosuf Ibn-Eiyoob (called by Europeans
“Saladin”), broke, and threw them into the sea, near the shore, to
prevent the vessels of an enemy from approaching the walls of the city.
It is said (he adds) that this pillar is one of those which stood in the
portico of Aristotle, who there taught philosophy; and that this academy
contained a library, which ’Amr Ibn-el-’A’s burned by direction of
’Omar.” The Arab General ’Amr, having taken Alexandria, was solicited by
one Johannes, surnamed “the Grammarian,” to spare the library above
mentioned, and to suffer it to remain in the possession of its former
owners. ’Amr, willing to oblige the philosopher, wrote to his sovereign,
desiring to know his pleasure respecting these books, and received the
following answer:—“As to the books which you have mentioned, if they
contain what is agreeable with the book of God, in the book of God is
sufficient without them; and if they contain what is contrary to the
book of God, there is no need of them; so give orders for their
destruction.” They were accordingly distributed about the city, to be
used for heating the baths, and in the space of six months they were
consumed. “Hear what happened,” writes Abu-l-Faraj, “and wonder!” The
author here quoted does _certainly_ speak of this event as one of
lamentable importance; but he was a _Christian_ writer. The _Muslims_,
though they love and encourage many branches of literature, generally
imagine that the books of the Christians are useless, or of an evil
tendency.

I must now leave Alexandria and its environs, saying a few words
respecting the ancient Necropolis, or “City of the Dead,” which I have
_not_ seen, being satisfied with my brother’s account of it, and being
anxious to proceed to Cairo.

The name of Necropolis has been given to a tract of nearly two miles in
length, on the southwest of the site of the ancient city, between the
old harbour and the bed of the Lake Mareotis. The sepulchres are all
excavated in the rock, which is calcareous, or rather soft. Those my
brother saw were small and rudely cut, without painting or any other
decorations. One of the catacombs is very spacious. It is the only one
that is well worthy of being examined. The principal chamber is
described as being of a circular form; and the roof is excavated like
the interior of a dome. Around it are three recesses, which were
doubtless receptacles for mummies; and around each of these are three
troughs cut in the rock, designed to serve as sarcophagi. In other
chambers are similar receptacles for the dead. The entrance of the
principal, or circular, apartment being ornamented with pilasters and a
pediment, it is evident that the period of the formation of the catacomb
was posterior to the founding of Alexandria. Along the shore of the
harbour are many other excavations, but of small dimensions, which are
also sepulchres. Many of them, being partly below the level of the sea,
are more or less filled with water; the part of the rock which
intervened having crumbled away, and left the interior exposed to the
waves. Some of these have been called “the baths of Cleopatra,” though
evidently sepulchres like the rest.

And now, if my account of Alexandria and its monuments has been too
brief, I must plead as my apology, my anxiety to pursue our route; but I
must add, that although the modern Alexandria is the successor of one of
the most illustrious cities of ancient times, it disappoints me, and
occasions only melancholy reflections.

Truly history confers a deep interest on this spot, once the chief seat
of Egyptian learning, the theatre of many wars and bloody tragedies, the
scene of the martyrdom of St. Mark, the birth-place and residence of
many of the most eminent fathers of the church, and the hot-bed of
schisms and heresies. But it is only in retrospect we find that on which
our minds can rest, and which can give rise to reflections which may be
pursued to advantage.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER III.

Cairo, July, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

To-day we have arrived with thankful hearts at Cairo, our voyages by sea
and by river completed for a time.

On leaving Alexandria, we engaged an iron track-boat, used chiefly for
the conveyance of travellers on their way to India from Alexandria, by
the canal called the Mahmoodeeyeh, to the Nile. The boat was very large,
containing two large cabins, the foremost of which was furnished with
benches and tables, and apparently clean; and being drawn by four
horses, passed so rapidly along, that we enjoyed, from the current of
air, a feeling of freshness, which led us at nightfall into a grievous
mistake; for we laid down, and expected rest without arranging our
musquito-curtains. Those who had fitted up the boat had covered the wide
benches with carpet. Imagine _such_ a couch in _such_ a latitude! we
were positively covered by fleas, and swarmed by black beetles, and the
latter of such a growth as are never seen in England. Too late we
repented of our error, and I should strongly recommend any person
travelling in Egypt to sleep under musquito-curtains winter and summer.
There is certainly a consciousness of heat and want of air, for perhaps
a quarter of an hour after the curtain is closely tucked in, but what is
that compared to the constant attacks of vermin of an extraordinary
variety, to which the traveller in the East is subject? Our first night
in the track-boat, without musquito-curtains, will not be easily
forgotten.[5]

Footnote 5:

Since I wrote the above, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company have, I believe, undertaken the conveyance of travellers from
Alexandria to Suez. Be this as it may, it is due to the Company to
say, that our voyage from England to Egypt was rendered as pleasant as
a splendid vessel, excellent attendance, and every desirable
accommodation could make it; and the manner in which travellers are
brought through Egypt, on their way to India, is now, I am told, as
comfortable as any reasonable person could desire.

On the following morning we arrived at the point where the canal enters
the Nile, and found that the boat which we expected would be ready for
our voyage to Cairo, had conveyed a party towards the scene of a
festival, and might not return for some days. Here our situation was one
of severe suffering. We were stationed between two high ridges, composed
of mud thrown up in forming the bed of the canal, very dry of course,
and exceedingly dusty, and covered with mud huts. The intense heat, the
clouds of dust, and the smell of this place, where we were hemmed in by
boats and barges for two days and nights, without being able to improve
our situation (because it was necessary in order to be ready for the
Nile-boat to continue near the entrance of the canal), was infinitely
worse than sea-sickness, or any thing else in the way of inconvenience
we had hitherto experienced. Indeed the sea-sickness was welcome to me,
for it confined me to my bed, and spared me the pain of seeing my own
dear country, which holds so many and so much we love, fade from my
sight. However long or however short may be the time proposed by any
person for the purpose of visiting other countries, however pleasurable
their expectations, however full of hope their prospects, there are
regrets—there is a pang—on quitting _England_, which must be felt by the
wayfarer, but can never be described, and is never fully anticipated.
But I must not wander from my proper subject. Where the canal runs along
the narrow neck of land between the salt marsh of Mareotis and that of
Aboo-Keer, the sides are formed by solid masses of stone, to prevent, in
some degree the filtration of salt water into the Mahmoodeeyeh, as it
supplies the cisterns of Alexandria. In scarcely any part does this
canal occupy the bed of the _ancient_ canal of Alexandria, which it
crosses in several places. More than three hundred thousand men were
employed to dig it; and about twelve thousand of these are said to have
died in the course of ten months; many of them in consequence of
ill-treatment, excessive labour, and the want of wholesome nourishment
and good water. Their only implements in this work were the hoes which
are commonly used in Egyptian agriculture; and where the soil was moist
they scraped it up with their hands, and then removed it in baskets. The
whole length of the canal is nearly fifty British miles, and its breadth
about eighty or ninety feet. It was commenced and completed in the year
1819. The name of Mahmoodeeyeh was given to it in honour of Mahmoud, the
reigning sultán.

In two days our promised boat arrived, and we joyfully left the
Mahmoodeeyeh, and its gloomy prospect, where the peasants appeared to be
suffering from abject poverty, and where the mud huts, rising one above
another, many of them being built in a circular form, bore the
appearance by moonlight of the ruined towers of castles, with here and
there a gleam of red light issuing from the apertures.

The communication between the canal and the Nile was closed, therefore
we walked for a few minutes along the bank, and we rejoiced on entering
our boat to feel the sweetest breeze imaginable, and to look upon the
green banks (especially on the Delta side) of one of the most famous
rivers in the world.

The boats of the Nile are admirably constructed for the navigation of
that river. Their great triangular sails are managed with extraordinary
facility, which is an advantage of the utmost importance; for the sudden
and frequent gusts of wind to which they are subject, require that a
sail should be taken in almost in a moment, or the vessel would most
probably be overset. On many occasions one side of our boat was
completely under water, but the men are so skilful that an accident
seldom happens, unless travellers pursue the voyage during the night.

We ordered that our boat should not proceed at night, therefore we were
three days on the Nile.

A custom which is always observed by the Arab boatmen at the
commencement of a voyage much pleased me. As soon as the wind had filled
our large sail, the Reyyis (or captain of the boat) exclaimed
“El-Fát-’hah.” This is the title of the opening chapter of the Kur-’an
(a short and simple prayer), which the Reyyis and all the crew repeated
together in a low tone of voice. Would to Heaven that, in this respect,
the example of the poor Muslim might be followed by our countrymen, that
our entire dependence on the protecting providence of God might be
universally acknowledged, and every journey, and every voyage, be
sanctified by prayer.

On the first day we passed the town of Fooweh, where I could distinguish
eleven mosques with their picturesque domes and minarets, and a few
manufactories; the dwellings are miserable, but when viewed from a
little distance the whole has a pleasing appearance, for the minarets
are whitewashed, and the houses, for a town in Egypt, _have been_ good.
Numbers of women and girls belonging to this town were filling their
pitchers on the bank as we passed; while others were washing clothes;
which done, each proceeded to wash her hands, face, and feet, and
immediately returned with her pitcher or bundle on her head. A piece of
rag rolled in the form of a ring, and placed upon the head, served to
secure the pitcher in its erect position; and I constantly saw, during
our stay on the Mahmoodeeyeh, large and heavy pitchers carried by the
women on their heads, without a hand upraised to keep them steady.

Fooweh, like Matoobis, is celebrated for the beauty of its women; but as
our boat kept in the middle of the stream, I had no opportunity of
pronouncing on their personal attractions. The lower orders are mostly,
I think, remarkably plain. Their usual dress (and indeed frequently,
their only article of clothing, except the head veil) is a plain blue
shirt, differing little from that of the men, which is also commonly
blue. It is a general custom of the Egyptian women of this class to
tattoo some parts of their persons, particularly the front of the chin
and the lips, with blue marks; and like the women of the higher classes,
many of them tinge their nails with the dull red dye of the henna, and
arrange their hair in a number of small plaits which hang down the back.

I must not omit telling you that Fooweh is also famous for its
pomegranates, which are both plentiful and excellent in flavour.

We reached the village of Shubra Kheet shortly after sunset, and as our
boatmen recommended that our boat should be made fast under this place,
we remained there until the morning. It was then curious to see the
various occupations of the peasants, and to observe the lassitude with
which they labour. During our voyage several poor fellows floated
towards the boat, sitting as it were upright on the water, paddling with
their feet, and bearing each three water-melons, one in each hand, and
one on their heads. Their manner of swimming is extraordinary—they seem
perfectly at their ease.

On the second day we passed renowned Sais, and afterwards had a glimpse
of the great desert, and its almost immeasurable sea of sand. Sais was
the ancient capital of the Delta, one of the most celebrated cities of
Egypt, and the reputed birth-place of Cecrops, who, it is said, led a
colony of Saites to Attica, about 1556 years before the Christian era,
founded Athens, and established there the worship of Minerva (the
Egyptian Neith), the tutelar goddess of his native city. This place is
so choked up with rubbish that its ruins are scarcely worth visiting;
but the labour of excavation would probably be rewarded by interesting
discoveries. The modern name of the place is “Sá-el-Hagar,” that is,
“Sais of the Stone,” probably allusive to the great monolithic chapel
described by Herodotus as the most remarkable of the monuments here
existing in his time. The remains of Sais, viewed from the river, appear
merely like lofty and extensive mounds. They chiefly consist of a vast
enclosure, about half a mile in length, and nearly the same in breadth.
This is formed by walls of prodigious dimensions, being about fifty feet
thick, and, in several parts, considerably more than that in height,
constructed of large crude bricks, fifteen or sixteen inches in length,
eight in breadth, and seven in thickness. The rains, though very rare
even in this part of Egypt, have so much decayed these walls, that from
a little distance they are hardly to be distinguished from the rubbish
in which they are partly buried. Within the enclosure are only seen some
enormous blocks of stone, and the remains of some buildings of unburnt
brick, which appear to have been tombs, and several catacombs, which
have been explored and ransacked. The enclosure contained the famous
temple of the Egyptian Minerva, described by Herodotus, the portico of
which surpassed in its colossal dimensions all other works of a similar
nature, and was adorned with gigantic figures and enormous
andro-sphinxes. Before it was the famous monolithic chapel I have
mentioned, which was twenty-one cubits long, fourteen wide, and eight
high. It is related by Herodotus that two thousand boatmen were employed
during the space of three years in transporting this monolith down the
Nile from Elephantine. There was also, before the temple, a colossus, in
a reclining posture (or, more probably, a _sitting_ posture),
seventy-five feet in length, similar to that before the temple of Vulcan
at Memphis, which latter colossus was the gift of Amasis. Behind the
temple was a sepulchre, but for whom it was destined the historian
declines mentioning. Lofty obelisks were likewise raised within the
sacred enclosure, near a circular lake, which was lined with stone. This
lake served as a kind of theatre for nocturnal exhibitions of solemn
mysteries relating to the history of the unnamed person above alluded
to, who was, probably, Osiris; for, from feelings of religious awe, many
of the Egyptians abstained from mentioning the name of that god. Many
other towns in Egypt disputed the honour of being regarded as the
burial-place of Osiris. All the Pharaohs born in the Saitic district
were buried within the enclosure which surrounded the sacred edifices of
Sais; and one of those kings, Apries, founded here a magnificent palace.
Of the grand religious festivals which were periodically celebrated in
Egypt in ancient times, the third, in point of magnificence, was that of
Sais, in honour of Neith; the most splendid being that of Bubastis, and
the next, that of Busiris, both in Lower Egypt. That of Sais was called
“the festival of burning lamps,” because, on the occasion of its
celebration, the houses in that city, and throughout all Egypt, were
illuminated by lamps hung around them.

I mentioned that the boat we had been promised at the Mahmoodeeyeh had
conveyed a party towards the scene of a festival; and you may be
surprised to hear that the manners of the modern Egyptians are not
wholly different from those of the ancient Alexandrians, who flocked to
the licentious festivals celebrated at Canopus in honour of the god
Serapis. Innumerable boats covered the canal by night as well as by day,
conveying pilgrims of both sexes, dancing, singing, and drinking, and
availing themselves in every way of the religious licence afforded them.
So, in the present day, vast numbers of the male inhabitants of the
metropolis of Egypt, and persons from other parts, with numerous
courtesans, repair to the festivals celebrated in commemoration of the
birth of the seyyid[6] Ahmad El-Bedawee (a celebrated Muslim saint), at
Tanta, in the Delta, where swarms of dancing-girls and singers
contribute to their amusement, and where, I am told, brandy is drunk
almost as freely as coffee.

Footnote 6:

Seyyid is a title given to the descendants of the Prophet.

We passed, to-day, by the village of Kafr-ez-Zeiyát, which exhibited a
busy scene: numerous visitors of the seyyid landing there, on their way
to Tanta, and others embarking to return to their homes.

We arrived late at the village of Nadir, under which we remained for the
night. In the morning we found ourselves surrounded by fine buffaloes
standing in the water. Their milk is chiefly used, and the butter made
from it is very white and sweet. We often saw numbers of these animals
standing or lying in the water, for the Nile is in many parts extremely
shallow, and abounds with moving sandbanks. Hence the boats frequently
run aground, but they are generally pushed off without much difficulty
by means of poles, or the crew descend into the water and shove the
vessel off with their backs and shoulders. In a calm, the boat is towed
by the crew; and in several cases during our voyage, the whole boat’s
crew, consisting of ten men, were thus drawing it, while no one remained
with us but the Reyyis. It was astonishing to see how well they
performed this laborious task, in the heat of July; very seldom stopping
to take rest, and then only for a short time. The boatmen generally sing
while the vessel is under sail, and they often accompany their songs
with the rude music of the darebukkeh and zummárah, which are a
funnel-shaped earthen drum and a double reed-pipe. There is something
very agreeable in the songs of the boatmen, although the airs they sing
are most strange. There is so much of contentment in the tones of their
voices that it does one good to hear them.

The most common kind of passage-boat, or pleasure-boat, is called a
kangeh, also pronounced kanjeh. It is long and narrow, and does not draw
much water. It has two masts, with two large triangular sails, and a low
cabin, which is generally divided into two or more apartments, having
small square windows, which are furnished with blinds, or glasses, and
sliding shutters in the inside. In our boat we were exceedingly worried
by beetles, bugs, and fleas; and these seriously annoyed me on account
of my poor children, whose rest was sadly disturbed, and their very
patience and cheerfulness increased our sympathy. Indeed, these young
wayfarers made us cast many a longing wish for their sakes towards the
comforts of a home.

During the nights our musquito-curtains diminished but did not remove
the inconvenience; but they are invaluable, as they prevent all attacks
from large reptiles, although bugs and fleas are proof against all
precaution.

The boats belonging to the Turkish grandees are very gay: bunches of
flowers are commonly painted on the panels of the cabin, both within and
without; and the blood-red flag, with its white crescent and star or
stars, waves at the stern. Other boats are more simple in their
decorations, and all extremely picturesque.

On this day of our voyage, we passed little worthy of remark, excepting,
indeed, the groups of noble and graceful palm-trees, which form a
characteristic and beautiful feature in every Egyptian landscape. The
villages presented a curious effect, from almost every hut being crowned
with a conical pigeon-house, constructed of earthen pots. With these
cones, frequently as large as the huts themselves, almost every village
hereabouts abounds.

We observed many carcasses of cattle floating upon the water, or lying
by the banks of the river, for Egypt is at present visited by a severe
murrain.[7]

Footnote 7:

This murrain lasted more than three months, and reminded us of that in
the time of Moses.

During our voyage we saw several instances of mirage (called by the
Arabs seráb); but the apparent clearness of the mock water destroyed the
illusion; for the Nile, generally turbid, was then particularly so; and
it was impossible to strain the imagination so far as to conceive that a
_clear_ lake should exist near the banks of the river. Yet it was an
interesting and curious phenomenon, and indeed rendered painfully
interesting by the knowledge that many a perishing wanderer in the
desert had bitterly tasted the disappointment its mimicry occasions.

I can say little of the beauty of the banks of the Nile. They are in
many places sufficiently high to obstruct the view, and broken and
perpendicular. The Delta side certainly often presented to the eye a
sloping bank of refreshing green, but with scarcely any diversity. I am
not disposed to underrate the prospect; but you have doubtless heard
that the borders of the Nile are seen in all their beauty about a month
after the decrease of the river, which has left its fertilizing soil for
a considerable space on either side, when its banks seem covered with a
carpet of the brightest emerald green, and its little islands are
crowned with the most brilliant verdure.

Our voyage was made during its increase; and when, on the third night,
our boat was made fast to a sandy island, no village being in the
neighbourhood under which the Reyyis thought we could safely pass the
night, we all congratulated ourselves and each other that our boating
was nearly at an end.

Early on the following morning we descried the venerable Pyramids, but
the undulations of the heated atmosphere on the surface of the
intermediate plain prevented their being distinctly visible. They were
three leagues distant.

We shortly after arrived at Boulak, the principal port of Cairo, and
with our arrival came the necessity that I and my sister-in-law should
equip ourselves in Eastern costume. There was no small difficulty in
this ceremony, and when completed, it was stifling to a degree not to be
forgotten. Imagine the face covered closely by a muslin veil, double at
the upper part, the eyes only uncovered, and over a dress of coloured
silk an overwhelming covering of black silk, extending, in my idea, in
every direction; so that, having nothing free but my eyes, I looked with
dismay at the high bank I must climb, and the donkey I must mount, which
was waiting for me at the summit. Nothing can be more awkward and
uncomfortable than this riding-dress; and if I had any chance of
attaining my object without assuming it, I should never adopt it; but in
English costume I should not gain admittance into many hareems: besides,
the knowledge that a Muslim believes a curse to rest on the “seer and
the seen,” makes one anxious not to expose passers-by to what they would
deem a misfortune, or ourselves to their malediction.

My brother, in his “Modern Egyptians,” has represented the manner in
which the habarah is worn by the native ladies of Egypt. The Turkish
ladies close it in front, esteeming it improper to show the colour of
the sebleh or tób beneath.

The house dress is well suited to the climate and extremely picturesque,
but the walking-dress is grotesque and curious.

With a short account of our ride of nearly two miles from Boulak to
Cairo, I shall conclude.

All mounted, and preceded by a janissary, we looked in wonder, as we
rode through Boulak, at the dilapidated state of this suburb. There are,
indeed, good houses there, I am assured, but we had not the good fortune
to see them, and we emerged gladly from its narrow streets to an open
space, where soon, however, the dust (which rose in clouds from the
tread of our easy-paced donkeys) so annoyed us, that for the first time
I felt it desirable that nothing but the eyes should be uncovered. At
length we fairly entered Cairo, and my astonishment increased tenfold.

I wrote to you that the streets of Alexandria are narrow; they are
_wide_ when compared with those of Cairo. The meshreebeeyehs, or
projecting windows, facing each other, above the ground-floors,
literally touch in _some_ instances; and in _many_, the opposite windows
are within reach.

The first impression received on entering this celebrated city, is, that
it has the appearance of having been deserted for perhaps a century, and
suddenly repeopled by persons who had been unable, from poverty or some
other cause, to repair it, and clear away its antiquated cobwebs. I
never saw such cobwebs as hung in many apertures, in gloomy dark
festoons, leading me to consider the unmolested condition of their
tenants. I wish I could say that I do not fear these creatures; but
surely in the insect world there is nothing so savage-looking as a black
thick-legged spider.

After passing through several of the streets, into which it appeared as
though the dwellings had turned out nearly all their inhabitants, we
arrived at an agreeable house situated in the midst of gardens, in which
we are to take up our temporary abode. Graceful palm-trees, loaded with
their fruit, meet our eyes in every direction, while acacias, bananas,
orange and lemon trees, pomegranate trees, and vines, form a splendid
variety, and but for one essential drawback, the coup d’œil would be
charming. This drawback is the want of refreshing showers. The foliage
on which we look is perfectly covered with dust, and the soil of the
gardens is watered by a wheel worked by a patient bullock, who pursues
his round-about with little intermission, and thrives in his persevering
labour.

The plan of the gardens is very curious; they are divided by long
parallel walks, with gutters on either side, and subdivided into little
square compartments, each about two yards wide, by ridges of earth about
half a foot high, and the water is admitted into these squares, one
after another. When I looked upon the little ditches and squares of
water, remaining for some time without absorption, I could not but
remember our bright pretty gardens in England, and how carefully in
watering our flowers we avoided saturating the mould, both because it
would be injurious to them, and displeasing to the eye—and these
recollections almost brought me to the conclusion that a garden in Egypt
is not worth the trouble of cultivation—so much for national prejudice
and love of home scenes. Adieu!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER IV.

Cairo, August, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Although prepared by the motley groups at Malta, and the changing scene
and variety of costume at Alexandria, for much that is more astonishing
to the European in Cairo, I find the peculiarities of this place and
people are beyond my most extravagant expectations. The Shubra road
passes very near our windows, and I am constantly attracted by the
various processions which wind their way to and from this city.

The wedding processions, in which the poor bride walks under a canopy of
silk, not only veiled, but enveloped in a large shawl, between two other
females, amuse me much; while the tribe before the “destined one,”
occasionally demonstrate their joy by executing many possible, and, to
our ideas, many impossible feats, and the rear is brought up by the
contributions of children from many of the houses _en route_. The bride
must, indeed, be nearly suffocated long before she reaches her
destination, for she has to walk, frequently almost fainting, under a
midday sun, sometimes a long distance, while a few musicians make what
is considered melody with drums and shrill hautboys, and attending
females scream their zag-háreet (or quavering cries of joy), in
deafening discord in her train.

The funeral processions distress me. The corpse of a man is carried in
an open bier, with merely a shawl thrown over the body, through which
the form is painfully visible. The body of a woman is carried in a
covered bier, over which a shawl is laid; and an upright piece of wood,
covered also with a shawl, and decorated with ornaments belonging to the
female head-dress, rises from the forepart. The corpses of children are
borne on this latter kind of bier.

One sound that I heard as a funeral procession approached, I can never
forget; it was a cry of such deep sorrow—a sob of such heartfelt
distress, that it was clearly distinguished from the wail of the hired
women who joined the funeral chorus. We were immediately drawn to the
windows, and saw a man leading a procession of women, and bearing in his
arms a little dead infant, wrapt merely in a shawl, and travelling to
its last earthly home. The cry of agony proceeded, I conclude, from its
mother, and could only be wrung from a nearly bursting heart. Contend
against me who may, I must ever maintain my opinion, that no love is so
deep, no attachment so strong, as that of mother to child, and of child
to mother.

The funerals that pass are very numerous; but other spectacles that I
see from my windows afford various and endless entertainment, and make
me long to look into the houses of this most curious city, as well as
into the streets and roads. After much consideration, however, I have
determined to defer my intended visits to the hareems of the great,
until I shall have acquired some little knowledge of Arabic; for,
although Turkish is the language usually spoken in those hareems, Arabic
is generally understood by the inmates; and as the latter is the common
language of Egypt, some knowledge of it is indispensable to me.

But our first object has been to find a comfortable dwelling; and
notwithstanding the kind assistance of numerous friends, my brother has
experienced great difficulty in attaining this object. The friendly
attention that has been shown to us all is most highly gratifying; and I
have already had some experience of the manners and usages of the
hareem;, two Syrian ladies having devoted themselves in the most amiable
manner to render us every possible service.

After having searched for a house here during a month in vain, we were
delighted by the offer of an exceedingly good one, which appeared in
almost every respect eligible, and in which we are now residing. But our
domestic comfort in this new abode has been disturbed by a singular
trouble, which has obliged us to arrange as soon as possible for a
removal. The house is an admirable one, being nearly new, though on the
old construction; therefore I shall endeavour to give you an idea of the
better houses of Cairo by describing this; and some knowledge of the
plan of its interior will enable you more fully to understand the
annoyance to which we are subjected.

On the ground-floor is a court, open to the sky, round which the
apartments extend, gallery above gallery. Round the court are five
rooms; one large room (a mandarah) intended for the reception of male
guests, with a fountain in the centre; a winter room; a small
sleeping-room, for any male guest; a kitchen, and a coffee-room, for
servants. On the right hand, immediately on entering the street-door, is
the door of the hareem, or the entrance to the stairs leading to the
ladies’ apartments; the whole of the house, excepting the apartments of
the ground-floor, being considered as the “hareem.” On the first-floor
is a marble-paved chamber, with a roof open towards the north, and
sloping upwards, conveying into the chamber generally a delightful
breeze. There are also five other rooms on the first-floor; and in each
of the two principal apartments, the greater portion of the floor,
forming about three-fourths, is raised from five to six inches, the
depressed portion being paved with marble. The reason for thus laying
the floors is, that the outer slippers are left on the depressed
portion, and the raised part, which is matted, is not to be defiled with
any thing which is unclean. The feet are covered, in addition to the
stockings, with a kind of inner slippers, the soles of which, as well as
the upper leathers, are of yellow morocco: they are called mezz; and the
outer slippers, which are without heels, are styled báboog. The latter,
by the way, I am often losing, and I fear I shall continue to do so, for
I despair of learning to shuffle, like the ladies of the country. When
wearing the riding or walking-dress, the mezz are exchanged for a pair
of high morocco socks, and the báboog are worn as usual. They are always
pale yellow. The walls throughout are whitewashed, and the ceilings
composed of fancifully carved woodwork, in some instances extremely
tastefully arranged. Besides the rooms I have mentioned, there are three
small marble-paved apartments, forming, _en suite_, an antechamber, a
reclining chamber, and a bath. We little thought, when we congratulated
ourselves on this luxury, that it would become the most abominable part
of the house. Above are four rooms, the principal one opening to a
delightful terrace, which is considerably above most of the surrounding
houses; and on this we enjoy our breakfast and supper under the clearest
sky in the world; but we always remember that the sweet air which
comforts us in the mornings and evenings of our sultry days, blows from
the direction of our own dear country; and the thought renders it the
more welcome.

We were much surprised, after passing a few days here, to find that our
servants were unable to procure any rest during the night; being
disturbed by a constant knocking, and by the appearances of what they
believed to be an ’efreet, that is, “an evil spirit,” but the term
’efreet is often used to signify “a ghost.” The manner of the servants’
complaint of the latter was very characteristic. Having been much
annoyed one morning by a noisy quarrel under our windows, my brother
called one of our servants to ascertain how it had arisen, when he
replied, “It is a matter of no importance, O Efendee, but the subject
which perplexes us is that there is a devil in the bath.” My brother
being aware of their superstitious prejudices, replied, “Well, is there
a bath in the world that you do not believe to be a resort of evil
spirits, according to the well-known tradition on that subject?” “True,
O my master,” rejoined the man, “the case is so; this devil has long
been the resident of the house, and he will never permit any other
tenant to retain its quiet possession; for a long time no one has
remained more than a month within these walls, excepting the last person
who lived here, and he, though he had soldiers and slaves, could not
stay longer than about nine months; for the devil disturbed his family
all night.” I must here tell you that during our short stay in the
house, two maids had left us, one after another, without giving us any
idea of their intentions, and had never returned, and the cause of their
sudden disappearance was now explained by the men, their
fellow-servants. Certainly our own rest had been grievously disturbed;
but we had attributed all the annoyance to a neighbour’s extraordinary
demonstrations of joy on the subject of his own marriage, and whose
festivities were perhaps the more extravagant because he is an old man,
and his bride a young girl: but as I hope to give you a particular
account, on a future occasion, of the manner in which the people of this
country celebrate a marriage, suffice it to say at present, the noise
was deafening during the _whole_ of eight nights, and that, when we were
becoming accustomed to the constant din, we were roused by three
tremendous reports of fire-arms, which rung through the apartments of
our own and the neighbouring houses, and shook our dwelling to the very
foundation. It is therefore not remarkable that we did not hear the
noises which disturbed our poor servants, in addition to the sufficient
uproar without.

It appeared, on inquiry, that the man to whom this house formerly
belonged, and who is now dead, had during his residence in it, murdered
a poor tradesman who entered the court with his merchandise, and two
slaves: one of these (a black girl) was destroyed in the bath, and you
will easily understand how far _such_ a story as this, and a _true_ one
too, sheds its influence on the minds of a people who are superstitious
to a proverb. We can only regret that my brother engaged the house in
ignorance of these circumstances; had he known them, he would also have
been aware that the prejudice among the lower orders would be
insurmountable, and that no female servant would remain with us. The
sudden disappearance of our maids was thus quaintly explained by our
doorkeeper. “Why did A’mineh and Zeyneb leave you?” “Verily, O my
master, because they feared for their security. When A’mineh saw the
’efreet she said at once, ‘I must quit this house; for if he touch me, I
shall be deranged, and unfit for service;’ and truly,” he added, “this
would have been the case. For ourselves, as men, we fear not; but we
fear for the hareem. Surely you will consider their situation, and quit
this house.” This (he thought) was putting the matter in the strongest
light. “Try a few nights longer,” my brother said, “and call me as soon
as the ’efreet appears to-night; we might have caught him last night,
when you say he was so near you, and after giving him a sound beating,
you would not have found your rest disturbed.” At this remark it was
evident that the respect of both servants for their master had received
a temporary shock. “O Efendee,” exclaimed one of them, “this is an
’efreet, and not a son of Adam, as you seem to suppose. He assumed last
night all imaginary shapes, and when I raised my hand to seize him, he
became a piece of cord, or any other trifle.” Now these men are valuable
servants, and we should be sorry to lose them, especially in our present
predicament; therefore my brother merely answered, that if the annoyance
did not cease, he would make inquiry respecting another house. But to
obtain a house, excepting in the heart of the city, is no easy matter;
and on account of my children, we feel it to be indispensable for the
preservation of their health that we should reside on the west side of
the city, and close to the outskirts, where the air is pure and
salubrious, and where Ibraheem Pasha has caused the mounds of rubbish to
be removed, and succeeded by extensive plantations of olive, palm,
cypress, acacia, and other trees. These plantations are open to the
public, and form a charming place of resort for children.

I have not mentioned to you that the inhuman wretch to whom this house
belonged bequeathed it to a mosque, perhaps as an expiation for his
crimes, but left it, for the term of her life, to the person who is our
present land-lady; and now a circumstance was explained to our minds
which we had not before fully understood. On the day before we desired
to remove here, we sent one of our servants to hire some women, and to
superintend the clearing of the house; and on his arrival there the
land-lady (whose name is Lálah-Zár, or bed of tulips) refused him
admission, saying, “Return to the Efendee, and say to him that I am
baking cakes in the oven of his kitchen, that I may give them away
_to-morrow_ at the tomb of the late owner of the house, to the poor and
needy. This is a meritorious act for your master’s sake, as well as for
my own, and your master will understand it.”

Poor woman! it is now evident to us that she hoped by this act of
propitiation to prevent farther annoyance to her tenants, and consequent
loss to herself.

The morning after the conversation I have related took place, the
servants’ report was considerably improved. They had passed, they said,
a comfortable night, and we hoped we might arrange to remain here, but
the following day a most singular statement awaited us. The doorkeeper,
in a tone of considerable alarm, said that he had been unable to sleep
at all; that the ’efreet had walked round the gallery all night in
_clogs_![8] and had repeatedly knocked at his door with a brick, or some
other hard substance. Then followed the question why one of the men had
not called my brother, evidently because neither of them dared pass the
gallery round which the supposed ’efreet was taking his midnight walk,
striking each door violently as he passed it. For many nights these
noises continued, and many evenings they began before we retired to
rest, and as we could never find the offender, I sadly feared for my
children; not for their personal safety, but lest they should incline to
superstition, and nothing impoverishes the mind so much as such a
tendency.

Footnote 8:

Clogs are always worn in the bath.

Another singular circumstance attending this most provoking annoyance
was our finding, on several successive mornings, five or six pieces of
charcoal laid at the door leading to the chambers in which we sleep;
conveying in this country a wish, or rather an imprecation, which is far
from agreeable, viz.: “May your faces be blackened.” However, under all
these circumstances, I rejoiced to find my children increasingly amused
by these pranks, and established in the belief that one or more wicked
persons liked the house so well, that they resolved to gain possession,
and to eject by dint of sundry noises, and other annoyances, any persons
who desire its occupation. It is, however, a more serious matter to poor
Lálah-Zár than to us; for it is very certain that the legacy of the late
possessor will never prove a great benefit either to her or the mosque.
You will be surprised when I tell you that the rent of such a house as
this does not exceed 12_l._ per annum. It is a very superior house, and
infinitely beyond the usual run of houses, therefore always styled by
the people of the country, the house of an Emeer (a Nobleman).

One thing we much regretted, that A’mineh (whom I mentioned early in
this letter) had taken fright. She was the best of our maids; and her
gentle respectful manners, and the perfect propriety of her demeanour,
made her a very desirable attendant. I am sorry to say we have met with
no other, but those who have proved themselves in every respect
inefficient. The men-servants are excellent, and become attached to
their masters almost invariably, when treated as they deserve; but as to
the maids, I scarcely know how to describe them. I really do not think
they hardly ever wash themselves, excepting when they go to the bath,
which is once in about ten days or a fortnight. On these occasions a
complete scouring takes place (I can find no other term for the
operation of the bath), and their long hair is arranged in many small
plaits: from that time until the next visit to the bath, their hair is
never unplaited. I speak from having watched with dismay all we have
had, excepting A’mineh, who was a jewel among them, and from the
information of all our friends in this country. These maids are
extremely deceitful, and when directed with regard to their work, will
answer with the most abject submission, although really disheartened by
the most ordinary occupation. They sleep in their clothes, after the
manner of the country, and the habit of doing so, coupled with the
neglect of proper washing, involving a want of that freshness produced
by a complete change of clothes, is especially objectionable. Were they
strict in their religious observances, their cleanliness would be
secured, as frequent ablutions are ordered in their code of law; but the
lower orders of the women have seldom any religion at all.

Believe me, you are fortunate in England, in this respect, as well as
many others, and I hope you will prize our English maids, if you have
not done so already.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER V.

September, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

That you may be better prepared for future letters, you wish me to give
you a general physical sketch of this most singular country, which is
distinguished by its natural characteristics, as well as by its
monuments of antiquity, from every other region of the globe. As my own
experience will not enable me to do so, my brother has promised to
furnish me with the necessary information.

The country (as well as the metropolis) is called Masr, by its modern
inhabitants. It is generally divided into Upper and Lower. Upper Egypt,
or the Sa’eed, may be described as a long winding valley, containing a
soil of amazing fertility, bounded throughout its whole length by
mountainous and sandy wastes.

Lower Egypt is an extensive plain, for the most part cultivated, and
copiously supplied with moisture by the divided streams of the Nile, and
by numerous canals. All the cultivable soil of Egypt owes its existence
to the Nile, by which it is still annually augmented: for this river,
when swollen by the summer rains which regularly drench the countries
between the northern limits of the Sennár and the equinoctial line, is
impregnated with rich earth washed down from the mountains of Abyssinia
and the neighbouring regions; and in its course through Nubia and Egypt,
where rain is a rare phenomenon, it deposits a copious sediment, both in
the channel in which it constantly flows, and upon the tracts which it
annually inundates. It is every where bordered by cultivated fields,
excepting in a few places, where it is closely hemmed in by the
mountains, or the drifted sand of the desert. The mud of the Nile,
analyzed by Regnault, was found to consist of 11 parts in 100 of water;
48 of alumine; 18 of carbonate of lime; 9 of carbon; 6 of oxide of iron;
4 of silex; and 4 of carbonate of magnesia.

The Nile is called in Egypt “El-Bahr” (or “the river”); for bahr
signifies a “great river,” as well as the sea. It is also called “Bahr
en Neel” (or “the river Nile”), and “Neel Masr” (or “the Nile of
Egypt”). The Arabs, generally believe the “Neel Masr” to be a
continuation of the “Neel es-Soodán” (or “Nile of the Negroes”).

Of the two great branches, called “El-Bahr el-Azrak” (or “the blue
river”), and “El-Bahr el-Abyad” (or “the white river”), which, uniting,
form the Nile of Nubia and Egypt, the former (though less long than the
other) is that to which Egypt principally owes its fertility. Its chief
characteristics (its colour, the banks between which it flows, &c.) are
similar to those of the Nile of Egypt. Its dark colour, arising from its
being impregnated with soil during the greater part of the year, has
caused it to receive the name of “the blue river,” while the other
branch, from the opposite colour of its waters, is called “the white
river.” The latter is considerably wider than the former; its banks are
sloping lawns, richly wooded, and very unlike the steep and broken banks
of the Nile of Egypt.

At its entrance into the valley of Egypt, the Nile is obstructed by
innumerable rocks of granite, which cause a succession of cataracts, or
rather rapids. The mountains on the east of the river, as well the
islands in it, are here of granite: those on the western side are of
sandstone. From this point, to the distance of thirty leagues southward,
sandstone mountains of small altitude extend on each side of the river.
The valley, so far, is very narrow, particularly throughout the upper
half of the sandstone district; and there is but very little cultivable
land on the banks of the river in that part; in some places the
mountains are close to the stream; and in others, only a narrow sandy
strip intervenes. At the distance of twelve leagues below the cataracts,
the river is contracted to little more than half its usual width, by the
mountains on each side. Here are extensive quarries, from which were
taken the materials for the construction of many of the temples in the
Thebais. This part is called “Gebel es-Silsileh,” or “the Mountain of
the Chain.” Where the calcareous district begins, are two insulated
hills (El-Gebelyn) on the west of the Nile; one of them close to the
river, and the other at a little distance behind the former. The valley
then becomes wider, and more irregular in its direction; and the Nile
winds through the middle of the cultivable land, or nearly so.
Afterwards the valley assumes a less serpentine form, and the river
flows along the eastern side; in many places washing the sides of the
precipitous mountains. The calcareous district continues to the end of
the valley, where the mountains on both sides diverge; the Arabian chain
running due east to Suez, and the western hills extending in a northwest
direction, towards the Mediterranean. Near the termination of the valley
is an opening in the low western mountains, through which a canal
conveys the waters of the Nile into the fertile province of El-Feiyoom.
On the northwest of this province is a great lake, which receives the
superfluous waters during the inundation. The length of the valley of
Egypt, from the cataracts to the metropolis, is about 450 geographical
miles. The distance by the river is above 500 miles from the cataracts
to the metropolis, and about 400 miles from Thebes to the same point.
The difference in latitude between the cataracts and the metropolis is
six degrees, or 360 geographical miles; and the distance from the latter
point to the sea, in a straight line, is rather more than ninety miles.
The width of the valley is in few parts more than eight or ten miles;
and generally less than that. The width of that part of Lower Egypt
which constituted the ancient Delta, is about 120 miles from east to
west.

The whole of the fertile country is very flat; but the lands in the
vicinity of the river are rather higher than those which are more
remote. This has been supposed to result from a greater deposit of mud
upon the former; which, however, cannot be the case, for it is observed
that the fields near the river are generally above the reach of the
inundation, while those towards the mountains are abundantly overflowed;
but while the latter yield but one crop, the former are cultivated
throughout the whole year; and it is the constant cultivation and
frequent watering (which is done by artificial means) that so
considerably raise the soil; not so much by the deposit of mud left by
the water, as by the accumulation of stubble and manure. The cultivable
soil throughout Egypt is free from stones, excepting in parts
immediately adjacent to the desert. It almost every where abounds with
nitre.

Between the cultivable land and the mountains, there generally
intervenes a desert space, too high to be inundated. This tract partly
consists of sand and pebbles, covering a bed of rock, and partly of
drifted sand which has encroached on the cultivable soil. In some
places, this desert space is two or three miles in width.

The extent of the cultivated land in Egypt, my brother calculates to be
equal to rather more than one square degree and a half; in other words
5,500 square geographical miles.[9] This is less than half the extent of
the land which is comprised within the confines of the desert; for many
parts within the limits of the cultivable land are too high to be
inundated, and consequently are not cultivated; and other parts,
particularly in Lower Egypt, are occupied by lakes, or marshes, or
drifted sand. Allowances also must be made for the space which is
occupied by towns and villages, the river, canals, &c. Lower Egypt
comprises about the same extent of cultivated land as the whole of Upper
Egypt.[10]

Footnote 9:

He made this calculation from a list of all the towns and villages in
Egypt, and the extent of cultivated land belonging to each. This list
is appended to De Sacy’s “Abd Allatif.” It was made in the year of the
Flight 777 (A.D. 1375–6); and may be rather underrated than the
reverse. The estimate of M. Mengin shows that in 1821, the extent of
the cultivated land was much less; but since that period, considerable
tracts of waste land have been rendered fertile.

Footnote 10:

The term “sharákee” is applied to those lands which are above the
reach of the inundation, and the term “rei” to the rest.

The annual inundation irrigates the land sufficiently for one crop; but
not without any labour of the fellah (or agriculturist): for care must
be taken to detain the water by means of dams, or it would subside too
soon. The highest rise of the Nile ever known would scarcely be
sufficient if the waters were allowed to drain off the fields when the
river itself falls. A very high rise of the Nile is, indeed, an event
not less calamitous than a very scanty rise; for it overflows vast
tracts of land which cannot be drained, it washes down many of the
mud-built villages, the huts of which are composed of unburnt bricks,
and occasions an awful loss of lives as well as property. Moreover the
plague seldom visits Egypt excepting after a very high rise of the Nile.
It is, however, far from being an _invariable_ consequence of such an
event. When the river begins to rise, all the canals are cleared out,
each is closed by a dam of earth at the entrance, and opened when the
Nile has nearly attained its greatest height, towards the end of
September. When the river begins to fall the canals are closed again,
that they may retain the water. The lands that are not inundated by the
overflowing of the Nile are irrigated artificially, if sufficiently near
to the river, or to a canal.

As all the cultivable soil of Egypt has been deposited by the river, it
might be expected that the land would at length rise so high as to be
above the reach of the inundation; but the bed of the river rises at the
same time, and in the same degree.

At Thebes, the Nile rises about thirty-six feet; at the cataracts about
forty; at Rosetta, owing to the proximity of the mouth, it only rises to
the height of about three feet and a half. The Nile begins to rise in
the end of June, or the beginning of July; that is to say, about, or
soon after, the summer solstice, and attains its greatest height in the
end of September, or sometimes (but rarely) in the beginning of October;
that is, in other words, about or soon after the autumnal equinox.
During the first three months of its decrease, it loses about half the
height it had attained; and during the remaining six months, it falls
more and more slowly. It generally remains not longer than three or four
days at its maximum, and the same length of time at its minimum: it may
therefore be said to be three months on the increase, and nine months
gradually falling. It often remains without any apparent increase or
diminution, at other times than those of its greatest or least
elevation, and is subject to other slight irregularities. The Nile
becomes turbid a little before its rise is apparent, and soon after it
assumes a green hue, which it retains more than a fortnight. Its water
is extremely delicious even when it is most impregnated with earth; but
_then_ the Egyptians (excepting the lower orders) usually leave it to
settle before they drink it, and put it in porous earthen bottles, which
cool it by evaporation. While the Nile is green, the people generally
abstain from drinking the water fresh from the river, having recourse to
a supply previously drawn, and kept in cisterns.

The width of the Nile where there are no islands is in few parts more
than half a mile. The branches which enclose the Delta are not so wide,
generally speaking, as the undivided stream above; and the river is as
wide in most parts of Upper Egypt as in the lower extremity of the
valley.

The rapidity of the current when the waters are low is not greater than
the rate of a mile and a quarter in an hour; but during the higher state
of the river, the current is very rapid, and while vessels with furled
sails are carried down by the stream with great speed, others ascend the
river at an almost equal rate, favoured by the strong northerly winds,
which prevail most when the current is most rapid. When the river is
low, the wind from the north is often more powerful than the current,
and vessels cannot then descend the stream even with the help of oars.

I believe that I shall have occasion to add a few more words on the Nile
some days hence, when I hope to send you the remainder of the general
sketch.

Meanwhile, believe me to remain, &c.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER VI.

October 13th, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Since I last wrote to you, the weather has continued intensely hot; but
during the last three days almost constant lightning throughout the
evening, though succeeded by excessive heat during the nights, has given
us hope of speedy relief. This heat is attributed to the present state
of the Nile, which has continued most unusually increasing up to this
time (the 13th of October), and given rise to serious apprehensions; for
unless the water drain quickly off the land when the river begins to
fall, it is feared that a severe plague may ensue. In such a case, we
propose going up to Thebes for four months, but we earnestly hope it may
please Almighty God to avert so dreadful a calamity as a pestilence must
inevitably prove. I now resume the sketch I left unfinished in my last
letter.

The climate of Egypt is generally very salubrious. The extraordinary
dryness of the atmosphere (excepting in the maritime parts) is proved by
the wonderful state of preservation in which bread, meal, fruits, &c.,
have been found in the tombs of ancient Thebes, after having been
deposited there two or three thousand years. The ancient monuments of
Egypt have suffered very little from the weather: the colours with which
some of them are adorned retain almost their pristine brightness. There
arises from the waters of the fields a considerable exhalation (though
not often visible), during the inundation, and for some months
afterwards; but even then it seems perfectly dry immediately within the
skirts of the desert, where most of the monuments of antiquity are
situated.[11]

The heat in Egypt is very great; but not so oppressive as might be
imagined, on account of that extreme dryness of the atmosphere of which
I have spoken, and the prevalence of northerly breezes.[12]

Footnote 11:

The damp at this period, slight as it is, occasions ophthalmia,
diarrhœa, and dysentery, to be more prevalent now than at other times.

Footnote 12:

The general height of the thermometer (Fahrenheit’s) in Lower Egypt
during the hot season, at noon, and in the shade, is from 90° to 100°;
in Upper Egypt, from 100° to 110°; and in Nubia, from 110° to 120°,
and even 130°, though in few years. In the latter country, if placed
in the sand and exposed to the sun, the thermometer often rises to
150° or more. The temperature of Lower Egypt in the depth of winter is
from 50° to 60°.

Rain is a very rare phenomenon in the valley of Egypt. In the Sa’eed, a
heavy rain falls not oftener, on the average, than once in four or five
years. My brother witnessed such an occurrence at Thebes, a tremendous
storm of lightning and rain, in the autumn of 1827. Lightning is
frequently seen, but thunder is seldom heard. On that occasion it was
quite terrific, and lasted throughout a whole night. The torrents which
pour down the sides and ravines of the naked mountains which hem in the
valley of Egypt, on these occasions, though so rare, leave very
conspicuous traces. Here, in Cairo, and in the neighbouring parts, there
fall on the average four or five smart showers in the year, and those
generally during the winter and spring. Most unusually (but this is in
every respect an unusual season), it rained heavily on the night of the
30th of September. A heavy rain very rarely falls, and when it does,
much damage is done to the houses. In the maritime parts of Egypt, rain
is not so unfrequent.

The prevalence of the northwesterly wind is one of the most remarkable
advantages of climate the Egyptians enjoy. The northwest breeze is ever
refreshing and salubrious, beneficial to vegetation, and of the greatest
importance in facilitating the Nile at almost every season of the year,
and particularly during that period when the river is rising, and the
current consequently the most rapid. During the first three months of
the decrease of the river, that is, from the autumnal equinox to the
winter-solstice, the wind is rather variable; sometimes blowing from the
west, south, or east; but still the northerly winds are most frequent.
During the next three months the wind is more variable; and during the
last three months of the decrease of the river, from the vernal equinox
to the summer solstice, winds from the south, or southeast, often hot
and very oppressive, are frequent, but of short duration.

During a period called “El-Khamáseen,” hot southerly winds are very
frequent, and particularly noxious. This period is said to commence on
the day after the Coptic festival of Easter-Sunday, and to terminate on
Whit-Sunday; thus continuing forty-nine days. It generally begins in the
latter part of April, and lasts during the whole of May. This is the
most unhealthy season in Egypt; and while it lasts the inhabitants are
apprehensive of being visited by the plague; but their fears cease on
the termination of that period. It is remarkable that we have already
suffered much from the hot wind, for it is most unusual at this season.
During July and August it was frequently distressing; and I can only
compare it to the blast from a furnace, rendering every article of
furniture literally hot, and always continuing three days. Having,
happily, glass windows, we closed them in the direction of the wind, and
found the close atmosphere infinitely more bearable than the heated
blast. This was a season of extreme anxiety, being quite an unexpected
ordeal for my children; but, I thank God, excepting slight
indisposition, they escaped unhurt.

The “Samoom,” which is a very violent, hot, and almost suffocating wind,
is of more rare occurrence than the Khamáseen winds, and of shorter
duration; its continuance being more brief in proportion to the
intensity of its parching heat, and the impetuosity of its course. Its
direction is generally from the southeast, or south-southeast. It is
commonly preceded by a fearful calm. As it approaches, the atmosphere
assumes a yellowish hue, tinged with red; the sun appears of a deep
blood colour, and gradually becomes quite concealed before the hot blast
is felt in its full violence. The sand and dust raised by the wind add
to the gloom, and increase the painful effects of the heat and rarity of
the air. Respiration becomes uneasy, perspiration seems to be entirely
stopped; the tongue is dry, the skin parched, and a prickling sensation
is experienced, as if caused by electric sparks. It is sometimes
impossible for a person to remain erect, on account of the force of the
wind; and the sand and dust oblige all who are exposed to it to keep
their eyes closed. It is, however, most distressing when it overtakes
travellers in the desert. My brother encountered at Koos, in Upper
Egypt, a samoom which was said to be one of the most violent ever
witnessed. It lasted less than half an hour, and a very violent samoom
seldom continues longer. My brother is of opinion that, although it is
extremely distressing, it can never prove fatal, unless to persons
already brought almost to the point of death by disease, fatigue,
thirst, or some other cause. The poor camel seems to suffer from it
equally with his master; and will often lie down with his back to the
wind, close his eyes, stretch out his long neck upon the ground, and so
remain until the storm has passed over.

Another very remarkable phenomenon is the “Zóba’ah,” and very common in
Egypt, and in the adjacent deserts. It is a whirlwind, which raises the
sand or dust in the form of a pillar, generally of immense height.[13]
These whirling pillars of sand (of which my brother has seen more than
twelve in one day, and often two or three at a time during the spring)
are carried sometimes with great rapidity across the deserts and fields
of Egypt, and over the river. My brother’s boat was twice crossed by a
zóba’ah; but on each occasion its approach was seen, and necessary
precautions were taken: both the sails were let fly a few moments before
it reached the boat; but the boxes and cushions in the cabin were thrown
down by the sudden heeling of the vessel, and every thing was covered
with sand and dust.

Footnote 13:

“I measured” (says my brother) “the height of a zóba’ah, with a
sextant, at Thebes, under circumstances which insured a very near
approximation to perfect accuracy (observing its altitude from an
elevated spot, at the precise moment when it passed through, and
violently agitated, a distant group of palm-trees), and found it to be
seven hundred and fifty feet. I think that several zóba’ahs I have
seen were of greater height. Others which I measured at the same place
were between five and seven hundred feet in height.”—_Modern
Egyptians_, 3d Edition, Part I. chap. x.

The “Saráb,” called by Europeans “mirage,” which resembles a lake, and
is so frequently seen in the desert, tantalizing the thirsty traveller,
I mentioned to you in a former letter. The illusion is often perfect,
the objects within and beyond the apparent lake being reflected by it
with the utmost precision. You probably know that the reflection is
produced by a heated stratum of air upon the glowing surface of a plain,
and you may have seen something of the same kind in England.

The fields in the vicinity of the river, and of the great canals, are
irrigated by means of machines at all seasons of the year, if not
subject to the natural inundation. For a description of these, I refer
you to the “Modern Egyptians,” 3d edition, Part II., chap. i.; and I
will now conclude this letter with a concise physical and agricultural
_calendar_ of Egypt, drawn up by my brother from Arabic works, and from
his own observations.

_January._—The mean temperature in the afternoon during this month at
Cairo is about 60°. The waters which, during the season of the
inundation, had been retained upon the fields by means of dams, have now
sunk into the soil; but water still remains in some of the large canals,
their mouths having been stopped up. The river has lost about half the
height it had attained; that is to say, it had sunk about twelve feet in
and about the latitude of Cairo. The wind at this season, and throughout
the winter, is very variable; but the northerly winds are most frequent.
People should now abstain from eating fowls, and all crude and cold
vegetables. The poppy is sown. It is unwholesome to drink water during
the night at this season, and throughout the winter. The fifth Coptic
month (Toobeh) begins on the 8th or 9th of January.[14] Now is the
season of extreme cold. Beef should not be eaten at this period. The
fields begin to be covered with verdure. The vines are trained. Carrots
are plentiful. Onions sown. The date-plum sown. The ripe sugar-canes
cut.

Footnote 14:

See a note on the beginning of the first Coptic month, in September.
The Egyptians (Muslims as well as Christians) still divide the seasons
by the Coptic months; but for dates, in their writings, they generally
use the lunar Mohammedan months.

_February._—The mean temperature in the afternoon during this month at
Cairo is about 66°. End of the season of extreme cold.[15] The fields
every where throughout Egypt are covered with verdure. The sixth Coptic
month (Amsheer) begins on the 7th or 8th of February. Warm water should
be drunk fasting at this season. The wind very variable. The harvest of
beans. The pomegranate tree blossoms. Vines are planted. Trees put forth
their leaves. The season of the winds which bring rain, called
el-Cawákeh. The cold ceases to be severe.

Footnote 15:

Such is the statement of the Egyptian almanacs; but there are
generally as cold days in the month of Amsheer as in Toobeh, and
sometimes colder.

_March._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at Cairo,
about 68°. End of the season for planting trees. The seventh Coptic
month (Barmahát) begins on the 9th of March, Variable and tempestuous
winds. THE VERNAL EQUINOX. During the quarter now commencing the river
continues decreasing; the wind often blows from the south or southeast;
and the samoom winds (from the same quarters) occur most frequently
during this period; the plague also generally visits Egypt at this
season, if at all. The weather becomes mild. Northerly winds become
prevalent. The wheat-harvest begins. Lentils are reaped; cotton, sesame,
and indigo sown; and the sugar-cane planted. The barley-harvest begins.

_April._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at Cairo,
about 76°. Time for taking medicine. The eighth Coptic month (Barmoodeh)
begins on the 8th of April. Samoom winds. Time for the fecundation of
the date-palm. Rice sown. The wheat-harvest in Lower Egypt. Beginning of
the first season for sowing millet. The Khamáseen winds generally
commence in this month.

_May._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at Cairo,
about 85°. The Khamáseen winds prevail principally during this month;
and the season is consequently unhealthy. Winter clothing disused. The
ninth Coptic month (Beshens) begins on the 8th of May. Time for taking
medicine, and losing blood. Season of the yellow water-melon. Cucumbers
sown. The apricot bears; and the mulberry. Turnips sown. End of the
first season for sowing millet. The apricot ripens. Beginning of the
season of great heat. Beginning also of the season of hot winds, called
“el-bawáreh,” which prevail during forty days.

_June._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at Cairo,
about 94°. Strong northerly winds prevail about this time. The water of
the Nile becomes turbid, but does not yet begin to rise. The tenth
Coptic month (Ba-ooneh) begins on the 7th of June. The banana sown.
Samoom winds. Strong perfumes (as musk, &c.) are disused now, and
throughout the summer. The yellow water-melon abundant. The plague, if
any existed previously, now ceases. Honey collected. People should
abstain from drinking the water of the Nile at this season for fifteen
days,[16] unless first boiled. “The drop” (en nuktah) descends into the
Nile, and, according to popular belief, causes it to increase soon
after;[17] this is said to happen on the 11th of Ba-ooneh, which
corresponds with the 17th of June: it is the day before the Coptic
festival of Michael the Archangel. The flesh of the kid is preferred at
this season, and until the end of summer. Samoom winds blow occasionally
during a period of seventy days now commencing. THE SUMMER SOLSTICE;
when the day is fourteen hours long in Lower Egypt. During the quarter
now beginning (_i. e._ during the period of the increase of the Nile)
northerly winds prevail almost uninterruptedly, excepting at night, when
it is generally calm. Though the heat is great, this quarter is the most
healthy season of the year. The Nile begins to rise now, or a few days
earlier or later. The season for grapes and figs commences. Peaches
plentiful.

Footnote 16:

Commencing from the 10th of Ba-ooneh (or the 16th of June).

Footnote 17:

It is really a heavy dew which falls about this time.

_July._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at Cairo,
about 98°. The rise of the Nile is now daily proclaimed in the
metropolis. Locusts die, or disappear, in every part of Egypt. The
eleventh Coptic month (Ebeeb) begins on the 7th of July. Violent
northerly winds prevail for fifteen days.[18] Honey abundant. People
should abstain from eating plentifully at this season. The noonday heat
is now excessive. Ophthalmia prevails now, but not so much now as in the
autumn. The bawáheer, or seven days of extreme heat, fall at the end of
this month.[19] Grapes and figs abundant. Maize is now sown. Harvest of
the first crop of millet. The date ripens.

Footnote 18:

Fleas disappear now; and if you can form a just idea of the annoyance
they occasion, you will not think the insertion of this information
unimportant.

Footnote 19:

They are said to commence on the 20th of Ebeeb, or 26th of July.

_August._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at Cairo,
about 92°. Season for pressing grapes. The last Coptic month (Misra)
begins on the 6th of August. Onions should not be eaten at this time.
Radishes and carrots sown. Cold water should be drunk, fasting.
Water-melons plentiful. The season for gathering cotton. The pomegranate
ripens. Violent northerly winds. Sweetmeats should not be eaten at this
time. “The wedding of the Nile” takes place on the 14th, or one of the
five following days of the month of Misra (the 19th to the 24th of
August); this is when the dam of earth which closes the entrance of the
canal of Cairo is broken down; it having been first announced that the
river has risen (in the latitude of the metropolis) sixteen cubits,
which is an exaggeration.[20] Second season for sowing millet.
Musquitoes abound now. End of the seventy days in which samoom winds
frequently occur.

Footnote 20:

The true rise at this period is about 19 or 20 feet; the river,
therefore, has yet to rise about 4 or 5 feet more, on the average.

_September._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at
Cairo, about 88°. White beet and turnip sown. Windy weather. The
beginning of the month Toot—the first of the Coptic year; corresponding
with the 10th or 11th of September, according as five or six intercalary
days are added at the end of the Coptic year preceding.[21] Ripe dates
abundant, and limes. Windy weather. THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX.; The Nile is
now, or a few days later, at its greatest height; and all the canals are
opened. During the quarter now commencing (_i. e._ during the first
three months of the decrease of the river), the wind is very variable;
often blowing from the west, and sometimes from the south. The
exhalations from the alluvial soil, in consequence of the inundation,
occasion ophthalmia, diarrhœa, and dysentery to be more prevalent in
this quarter than at other seasons. Harvest of sesame.

Footnote 21:

“Five intercalary days are added at the end of three successive years;
and six at the end of the fourth year. The Coptic leap-year
immediately precedes ours: therefore, the Coptic year begins on the
11th of September, only when it is the next after their leap-year; or
when our next ensuing year is a leap-year: and consequently after the
following February, the corresponding days of the Coptic and our
months will be the same as in other years. The Copts begin their
reckoning from the era of Diocletian, A. D. 284.”—_Modern Egyptians_,
Part I., chap. ix.

_October._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at
Cairo, about 80°. The leaves of trees become yellow. Green sugar-canes
cut, to be sucked. Drinking water at night, after sleep, is pernicious
at this season. The henna-leaves gathered. Winter vegetables sown. The
second Coptic month (Bábeh) begins on the 10th or 11th of October.
Wheat, barley, lentils, beans, lupins, chick-peas, kidney-beans,
trefoil, fenugreek, colewort, lettuce, and safflower are sown now, or a
little later. Bleeding is injurious now. The dews resulting from the
inundation increase.

_November._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at
Cairo, about 72°. The cold during the latter part of the night is now
pernicious. The third Coptic month (Katoor) begins on the 9th or 10th of
November. Rain is now expected in Lower Egypt. The “mereesee,” or south
wind, prevalent. The rice-harvest. The maize-harvest, and second harvest
of millet. Winter-clothing assumed. Bananas plentiful.

_December._—Mean temperature in the afternoon during this month, at
Cairo, about 68°. Tempestuous and cloudy weather. Strong perfumes, as
musk, ambergris, &c., are agreeable now. The fourth Coptic month
(Kiyahk) begins on the 9th or 10th of December. The leaves of trees
fall. THE WINTER SOLSTICE; when the day is ten hours long in Lower
Egypt. The wind is variable during this quarter. Beginning of the season
for planting trees. Fleas multiply. The vines are pruned. Beef is not
considered wholesome food at this season.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER VII.

October 18th, Ramadán, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

The leading topic of conversation in this country, at the present time,
is the state of the Nile, which has hitherto (to the 18th of October)
continued rising, and occasioned a general fear that a severe plague
will ensue on the subsiding of the inundation. In 1818, it rose until
the 16th of October; but never so late since that time, nor for a
considerable period before. Our house is flooded in the lower part; and
in some of the streets of Cairo, the water is within a foot of the
surface, while it has entered many of the houses.

This is the 12th day of Ramadán, or the month of abstinence; and I do
heartily pity those who observe the fast, for the weather is again
intensely hot, and it is marvellous how any person can observe the law,
denying himself from daybreak to sunset even a draught of water. I
really think there are very many conscientious fasters; and it would
interest you exceedingly to walk through the streets of Cairo during
this month, and observe the varieties of deportment visible among the
people. Some are sitting idly, holding an ornamented stick, or with a
string of beads in their hands. Boys, fasting for the first time, and
even men, are endeavouring to distract their attention with the most
childish toys; while many are exhibiting, in various ways, that fasting
does not improve their tempers.

Some days since, as it drew near the hour of sunset, an aged couple were
passing near our present dwelling, the old woman leading her blind
husband by the hand, and carrying his pipe, that it might be ready for
him as soon as the law should allow him to enjoy it. Bent as they were
by age and infirmity, it was sad to see that they were evidently among
the fasters, and it was a sight to excite compassion and respect; for as
so many of the aged sink into their last earthly home, when the month of
abstinence has passed, the fear that they too might prove martyrs to the
requirements of their religion was far from groundless, and naturally
present to the mind of the observer.

The great among the Muslims in general turn night into day during
Ramadán; therefore they are seldom seen in the streets. Most of them
sleep from daybreak until the afternoon; while others break their fast
in private. I do not think that this is done by the lower orders; and no
one can hear the cry of joy which rings and echoes through the city at
sunset, when, in token that the fasting is over, for at least some
hours, a cannon is discharged from the citadel, without rejoicing with
the people, that another day of Ramadán has passed. But no sound is so
imposing as the night-call to prayer from the numerous menarets. I
mentioned to you our impressions on hearing it first at Alexandria; but
here, in Cairo, it is infinitely more striking. On some occasions, when
the wind is favourable, we can hear perhaps a hundred voices, in solemn,
and indeed harmonious, concert. Here the Mueddins, raised between earth
and heaven, call on their fellow-creatures to worship Heaven’s God; and
oh! as their voices are borne on the night-wind, let the silent prayer
of every Christian who hears them ascend to a throne of grace for mercy
on their behalf. They are more especially objects of pity, because they
have the light of the Gospel in their land; but how is that light
obscured! prejudice, and (shall I write it?) the conduct of many
Europeans dwelling among them, and calling themselves Christians, have
blinded their eyes, and because of the sins of others, the true
Christian spends his strength in vain. Far be it from me to cast a
sweeping censure, but our respectable and respected friends here will
join me as I raise my voice against those nominal Christians, who, by
their profligacy, prove ever “rocks a-head” to the already prejudiced
Muslim. This always important city may now be ranked among “men’s
thoroughfares” in a wide sense, and we must only hope that the day may
come when the phrase, “these are Christians,” will no longer convey
reproach.

The Mohammedan months are lunar, and consequently retrograde; and when
Ramadán occurs in the summer, the obligation to abstain from water
during the long sultry days is fearful in its consequences. At sunset,
the fasting Muslim takes his breakfast; and this meal generally
commences with light refreshments, such as sweet cakes, raisins, &c.;
for, from long abstinence, many persons find themselves in so weak a
state, that they cannot venture to eat immediately a full meal. Many
break their fast with merely a glass of sherbet, or a cup of coffee.
This refreshment is succeeded by a substantial meal, equal to their
usual dinner. They often retire to obtain a short sleep. Usually, two
hours after sunset, criers greet all the persons in their respective
districts, beating a small drum at the doors, and saying something
complimentary to the inmates of each house. Again, the morning call to
prayer is chanted much earlier than usual, perhaps an hour and a half
before daybreak, to remind all to take their second meal; and the crier
also goes another round, making a loud noise, in which he perseveres
until he is answered, at each house where his attention is required.
Thus, you see, no small pains are taken to remind the faster to avail
himself of his opportunities; and it is singular to hear the variety of
noises which disturb the nights of this most unpleasant month. At
daybreak, each morning, the last signal is made from the citadel, by the
firing of a cannon, for the removal of all food; and on some occasions,
this report seems to shake the city to the very foundations. The open
lattice windows oblige us to hear all the noises I have described. Our
windows are furnished with glazed frames, in addition to the carved
wooden lattice-work, but the former are only closed in the winter, for
those who desire to enjoy any sleep during the hot season must keep all
windows (and if possible doors also) open. Judging by my own surprise at
the degree of heat we have endured since our arrival, I imagine you have
no adequate idea of it. On my opening, a few days since, a card-box full
of sealing-wax, I found the whole converted into an oblong mass, fitting
the lower part of the box.

As to the vermin of Egypt, I really think that the _flies_ occasion the
greatest annoyance, so abundant are they, and so distressing. Nets
placed at the doors and windows exclude them; but there are days, indeed
weeks and months, in Egypt, when the temperature is so oppressive, that
it is not possible to allow the air to be impeded, even by a net.
Musquitoes, too, are very troublesome in the mornings and evenings, and
much reduce the comfort of early rising. This is a serious inconvenience
here, for we find the most agreeable hours are in the early mornings and
in the cool evenings, after sunset. The old houses abound with bugs, but
in this respect we have been particularly fortunate; for we have not
been annoyed by these very disgusting insects. Fleas are very
troublesome during their season, I am told, but with us their season has
not yet begun; and I think and hope cleanliness in our houses will, in a
great degree, prevent their attentions. “There are insects” (as I once
heard a lecturer on natural history express himself) “which must be
nameless in all polite society;” therefore, my dear friend, they must be
nameless here, but of these we have seen five. These arrived at five
different times in parcels of _new_ linen from a bazaar, and their
arrival has occasioned the closest scrutiny when any thing new is
brought to us.

Rats, also, are extremely annoying, and nothing escapes their
depredations, unless secured in wire safes, or hung up at a sufficient
distance from the walls. These animals run about our bedrooms during the
nights; and I sometimes think they come in at the open windows. They are
generally harmless, but sufficiently tiresome. Lizards, too, are very
common, but perfectly innocuous, and occupy themselves entirely on the
ceilings and windows in chasing flies, on which they seem to subsist. I
told you I feared much from the antiquated cobwebs that spiders would be
numerous. They are so, truly, and so very large that I will not risk
giving my opinion of their size; it is so far beyond any European
specimen I have seen. But the gravest annoyances are scorpions, and of
these we have found three, one of which was exactly three inches in
length. I was much distressed on finding these, but comforted on hearing
that if the wound they inflict be immediately scarified, and an
application of sal ammoniac be made, it does not prove fatal. These
applications, however, though absolutely necessary, are very painful;
and I trust we may be spared the necessity of resorting to such means.
Fearing for my children, for their sakes I am a coward, and I feel it is
ever necessary to bear in mind that we cannot wander where we can be
outcasts from the care of Heaven, or strangers to the protecting
Providence of God.

I have suffered this letter to remain unfinished for a whole week,
expecting daily that I might be able to tell you of the end of this
year’s inundation. This I am now able to do; but must first mention,
that we have experienced a most extraordinary storm of wind, accompanied
by such clouds of dust, that we were obliged to close our eyes and wait
patiently until its fury had in some measure passed away. When it abated
we looked out upon the city, and could only see the tops of its menarets
above the sea of dust, and its lofty palm-trees bending before the
blast. I have _heard_ such a hurricane, during the night, once since our
arrival in Cairo, and fearful indeed it was, but I have never seen its
effects until now. This was not one of the winds to which the Easterns
give a name, such as the Zóba’ah, the Khamáseen winds, or the Samoom;
but a strong sweeping wind from the northeast. In looking down upon the
many ruins of Cairo, I feel astonished by the fact of their withstanding
such a hurricane. A storm like this is generally preceded and followed
by a perfect calm.

This day (the 25th of October) is the first of the decrease of the Nile.
It is usually at its greatest height, as I have already mentioned, at
the end of September. It is not extraordinary that it should be a high
inundation; that is well accounted for this year, as it has been in the
two preceding years, by the construction of many new embankments, but it
is the lateness of the inundation which is so exceedingly unusual. It
rose considerably on the 23d instant, and on the 24th slightly; and I
find no one with whom we are acquainted here among the residents who
remembers such an occurrence.

“A very grievous murrain,” forcibly reminding us of that which visited
this same country in the days of Moses, has prevailed during the last
three months, and the already distressed peasants feel the calamity
severely, or rather (I should say) the few who possess cattle. Among the
rich men of the country, the loss has been enormous. During our voyage
up the Nile, we observed several dead cows and buffaloes lying in the
river, as I mentioned in a former letter; and some friends who followed
us two months after, saw many on the banks; indeed, up to this time,
great numbers of cattle are dying in every part of the country, and the
prevailing excitement leads me to recur to the subject.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER VIII.

November 26th.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I have just returned from witnessing the curious procession of the
Mahmal, preparatory to the departure of the great caravan of pilgrims to
Mekkah. We were early on the way, and after riding for nearly an hour we
found ourselves in the main street of the city, opposite to the Khán
el-Khaleelee, the chief Turkish bazaar of Cairo. I felt more than ever
convinced that donkeys were the only safe means of conveyance in the
streets of this city. A lady never rides but on a donkey, with a small
carpet laid over the saddle. For gentlemen, horses are now more used
than donkeys; but their riders encounter much inconvenience. In many
cases, this morning, our donkeys threaded their way among loaded camels,
where horses were turned back; and my apprehensions lest the large bales
of goods should really sweep my boys from their saddles, were scarcely
removed by the extreme care of their attendants, who always kept one arm
round each of my children, in passing through the dangerous
thoroughfares. I assure you it is an exceedingly awkward thing to ride
through the streets of Cairo at any time, but especially so during a
season of festivity.

We had engaged for the day a room on a first-floor, commanding a good
view of the street, and we had not been long seated before an
extraordinary uproar commenced. This arose from crowds of boys, provided
with sticks, and absolutely privileged (as is usual on the days of this
procession) to beat all Christians and Jews. A poor Frank gentleman was
attacked under the window we were occupying, and protected with
difficulty by some Arabs, who interposed with much kindness. It was
especially matter of congratulation to-day, that our party were supposed
to be Easterns, and that we had so learnt to _carry_ the dress that we
were not suspected. On one occasion, not long since, my donkey stumbled,
and a Turkish gentleman, who was passing me, exclaimed, “Yá Sátir” (O!
Protector). Had he supposed I was an Englishwoman, I imagine he would
not have invoked protection for me. The prejudice against Europeans is
especially strong, as they are said to have enlightened the Pasha too
much on matters of finance; but to-day I will dismiss this subject, and
tell you of the procession, while it is fresh in my recollection.

The first persons who passed, belonging to the procession, were two men
with drawn swords, who engaged occasionally in mock combat. Next came a
grotesque person, well mounted, and wearing a high pointed cap, and an
immense beard of twisted hemp, and clothed in sheep-skins. He held a
slender stick in his right hand, and in his left a bundle of papers, on
which he pretended, with a tragi-comical expression of countenance, to
write judicial opinions. Next followed _the gun_ of the caravan, a small
brass field-piece, an hour and a half before noon, preceded by a company
of Nizám troops, and followed by another company, headed by their band;
the musical instruments being European. I cannot praise their
performance, yet it approached nearer to music than any attempt I have
heard in Egypt. It remains, however, for me to hear the professional
singers of this country; and I am told by persons of undoubted taste,
that if I do not admire the airs they sing, I shall be surprised at
their skill and the quality of their voices.

The soldiers were followed by a long procession of Darweeshes. First
came the Saadeeyeh, with numerous flags, bearing, in many cases, the
names of God, Mohammad, and the founder of their order, on a ground of
green silk. Most of these Darweeshes were beating a small kettle-drum
called báz, which is held in the left hand, and beaten with a short
thick strap. Some were beating cymbals, and all repeating religious
ejaculations, chiefly names and epithets of God. They were perpetually
bowing their heads to the right and to the left during the whole
repetition, and this motion was rendered the more apparent by many of
them wearing very high felt caps; then, the variety in their costume,
and, more than all, the gravity of their deportment, combined to rivet
our attention. These Darweeshes were followed by a body of their parent
order (the Refá-eeyeh), bearing black flags, and also beating bázes and
cymbals, and repeating the like ejaculations. Their sheykh, a
venerable-looking person, wearing a very large black turban, rode behind
them, on horseback. Then passed the Kádireeyeh Darweeshes: their
principal insignia were borne by members of their order; viz.
palm-sticks, for fishing-rods; and fishing-nets strained on hoops, and
raised on long poles, with many small fish suspended round them. They
carried white flags. Next followed the Ahmedeeyeh, and Baráhimeh
Darweeshes, bearing red and green flags; and immediately after these
came “the Mahmal.”

The Mahmal is a mere emblem of royalty, and contains nothing; but two
copies of the Kur-án, in cases of gilt silver, are fastened to the
exterior. It is an imitation of a covered litter, borne on the back of a
camel; and it accompanies the caravan yearly, forming, if I may use the
expression, the banner of the pilgrims. Many persons have understood
that it contains the Kisweh, or new covering for the temple of Mekkah;
but they are mistaken. The origin of this ceremony, as related in the
“Modern Egyptians,” was as follows:—“Sheger-ed-Durr (commonly called
Shegerel-ed-Durr), a beautiful Turkish female slave, who became the
favourite wife of the Sultán Es-Sáleh Negm-ed-Deen, and on the death of
his son (with whom terminated the dynasty of the house of Eiyoob) caused
herself to be acknowledged as Queen of Egypt, performed the pilgrimage
in a magnificent Hódag (or covered litter), borne by a camel; and for
several successive years her empty litter was sent with the caravan
merely for the sake of state. Hence, succeeding princes of Egypt sent
with each year’s caravan of pilgrims a kind of Hódag (which received the
name of Mahmal, or Mahmil) as an emblem of royalty, and the kings of
other countries followed their example.”[22] The usual covering of the
Mahmal has been black brocade; that I have seen this morning is red, and
I understand that it is shabby in comparison with those of former years:
indeed each year (my brother tells me) all that is connected with this
procession becomes less remarkable, and less money is expended on it by
the government. But to me, and to those of us who had not previously
seen it, it was extremely interesting. There were none of the great men
habited in cloth of gold, who preceded it on former occasions; neither
were the camels handsomely caparisoned.

Footnote 22:

_Modern Egyptians_, 3d ed., part ii., p. 203.

The half-naked sheykh who has for so many years followed the Mahmal,
incessantly rolling his head, for which feat he receives a gratuity from
the government, rode on a fine horse immediately after it. If he be the
same man (and I am informed he is the very same) who has year after year
committed this absurdity, it is wonderful that his head has borne such
unnatural and long-continued motion. There followed him a number of led
camels and horses, and their decorations were extremely picturesque, but
not costly. The camels were ornamented in various ways; one having small
bells, strung on either side of a saddle ornamented with coloured cloth;
others with palm-branches, ostrich feathers, and small flags fixed on
similar saddles decorated with cowries. These were succeeded by a
company of regular troops, followed by the Emeer-el-Hágg (or chief of
the pilgrims). Then passed the usual collection of the presents which
are distributed during the pilgrimage; and then, a number of drummers
mounted on camels, and beating enormous kettle-drums: after these, some
more led camels, and a numerous group bearing mesh’als, the tops of
which were covered with coloured kerchiefs. “The mesh’al is a staff with
a cylindrical frame of iron at the top filled with wood, or having two,
three, four, or five of these receptacles for fire.”[23] These were for
the purpose of lighting the caravan; as the journey is mostly performed
during the cool hours of night. Another company of officers and soldiers
followed these; and then the litter and baggage of the Emeer-el-Hágg.
His first supply of water passed next, borne by a number of camels, each
laden with four skins; and these were succeeded by led camels closing
the procession.

Had we gone merely with the view of seeing the spectators, we should
have been amply rewarded. The shops and their benches were crowded with
people of many countries; and the variety in their costume and manners
formed an amusing study. The windows of the first and second floors were
perfectly full of women, children, and slaves; and here and there a
richly-embroidered dress was seen through the lattice.

On one point all denominations of people seemed agreed; viz. in
purchasing something for their children from almost all the venders of
sweets, and many passed constantly on this occasion; therefore their
poor children kept up a continual system of cramming during the whole
procession; and here my eyes were opened to a new manner of accounting
for the generally wretched appearance of the children of this country.
Their parents put any thing and every thing that is eatable into their
mouths, without the slightest regard to its being wholesome or
otherwise. How then can they be strong or healthy?

Footnote 23:

_Modern Egyptians_, 3d ed., part i., p. 254.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER IX.

November, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I have already attempted to describe to you my impressions on my first
entry into Cairo. My ideas of it, for a considerable time, were very
confused; it seemed to me, for the most part, a labyrinth of ruined and
half-ruined houses, of the most singular construction; and in appearance
so old, that I was surprised at being informed that, only a few years
ago, it presented a far less unhappy aspect.

Cairo is dignified with the name of Umm-ed-Dunya (the Mother of the
World) and other sounding appellations. Though it has much declined
since the discovery of the passage to India by the Cape of Good Hope,
and more especially of late years, it is still one of the most
considerable cities in the East. It is altogether an Arabian city; and
the very finest specimens of Arabian architecture are found within its
walls. The private houses are in general moderately large; the lower
part of stone, and the superstructure of brick; but some are little
better than huts.

The streets are unpaved, and very narrow, generally from five to ten
feet wide. Some are even less than _four_ feet in width; but there are
others as much as forty or fifty feet wide, though not for any great
length. I must describe the streets under their different appellations.

A shárë’, or great thoroughfare-street, is generally somewhat irregular
both in its direction and width. In most parts the width is scarcely
more than sufficient for two loaded camels to proceed at a time; and
hence much inconvenience is often occasioned to the passenger, though
carriages are very rarely encountered. All burdens are borne by camels,
if too heavy for asses; and vast numbers of the former, as well as many
of the latter, are employed in supplying the inhabitants of Cairo with
the water of the Nile, which is conveyed in skins, the camel carrying a
pair of skin bags, and the ass a goat-skin, tied round at the neck. The
great thoroughfare-streets being often half obstructed by these animals,
and generally crowded with passengers, some on foot, and others riding,
present striking scenes of bustle and confusion, particularly when two
long trains of camels happen to meet each other where there is barely
room enough for them to pass, which is often the case. Asses are in very
general use, and most convenient for riding through such streets as
those of Cairo, and are always to be procured for hire. They are
preferred to horses even by some men of the wealthier classes of the
Egyptians. Their paces are quick and easy; and the kind of saddle with
which they are furnished is a very comfortable seat: it is a broad,
party-coloured pack-saddle. A servant generally runs with the donkey;
and exerts himself, by almost incessant bawling, to clear the way for
his master. The horseman proceeds with less comfort, and less
speed,—seldom beyond the rate of a slow walk; and though preceded by a
servant, and sometimes by two servants to clear his way, he is often
obliged to turn back: it is, therefore, not often that a numerous
cavalcade is seen in the more frequented streets; and there are some
streets so contracted that a person on horseback cannot pass through
them. It is not uncommon for individuals of the higher and middle
classes in Cairo to exchange salutations in the streets, though
unacquainted with each other. Thus the Muslim salutation was often given
to my brother, a fact which I mention merely to show the fallacy of the
opinion that the natives of the East can easily detect, even by a
glance, a European in Oriental disguise.

A stranger, with lofty ideas of Eastern magnificence, must be surprised
at the number of meanly-dressed persons whom he meets in the streets of
Cairo. Blue is the prevailing colour; as the principal article of dress,
both of the men and women of the lower orders, is a full shirt of cotton
or linen, dyed with indigo, which is the production of the country. The
blue shirts of the men, particularly of the servants, often conceal
vests of silk and cloth. Some persons are so poor as not even to possess
a ragged turban; their only head-dress being a close-fitting cap of
white, or brown felt, or an old tarboosh;[24] and many are without
shoes. Christians and Jews are distinguished by a black, or blue, or
light-brown turban. The costumes of the women, and especially of the
ladies, are the most remarkable in the eyes of the European stranger.
The elegant dress which they wear at home is concealed whenever they
appear in public by a very full silk gown (called tób), and a large
black silk covering (called habarah) enveloping almost the whole person;
or, instead of the latter, in the case of unmarried ladies, a _white_
silk covering: the face veil (burko’) is of white muslin; it is narrow,
and reaches from the eyes nearly to the feet. Thus encumbered, it is
with some difficulty that the ladies shuffle along in their slippers;
but they are seldom seen in the crowded streets on foot: well-trained
donkeys are hired for their convenience, and are furnished, for this
purpose, with a high and broad saddle, covered with a carpet, upon which
the lady sits astride, attended by a servant on each side. A long train
of ladies, and female slaves attired in the same manner, one behind
another, a whole hareem, is often seen thus mounted; and passengers of
all ranks make way for them with the utmost respect. The women of the
inferior classes wear a black face veil, which I think much more
becoming than the white. It is sometimes adorned with gold coins and
beads; or they draw a part of the head veil before the face, leaving
only one eye visible.

Footnote 24:

The red cloth skull-cap, round which the turban is wound.

Numbers of blind persons are seen in the streets of Cairo; and many more
with a bandage over one eye; but I seldom see a _woman_ with diseased
eyes.

Shops, which (I have before remarked) are merely small recesses, and
most of which are poorly stocked, generally occupy the front part of the
ground-floor of each house in a great street; and the houses, with few
exceptions, are two or three stories high. Their fronts, above the
ground-floor, projecting about two feet, and the windows of wooden
lattice-work projecting still further, render the streets gloomy, but
shady and cool. On either side of the great streets are by-streets and
quarters.

A darb, or by-street, differs from a shárë’ in being narrower, and not
so long. In most cases, the darb is about six or eight feet wide, is a
thoroughfare, and has, at each end, a gateway, with a large wooden door,
which is always closed at night. Some darbs consist only of private
houses; others contain shops.

A hárat, or quarter, is a particular district consisting of one or more
streets or lanes. In general, a small quarter contains only private
houses, and has but one entrance, with a wooden gate, which, like that
of a darb, is closed at night.

The sooks, or markets, are short streets, or short portions of streets,
having shops on either side. In some of them, all the shops are occupied
by persons of the same trade. Many sooks are covered overhead by
matting, extended upon rafters, resembling those I observed at
Alexandria, and some have a roof of wood. Most of the great
thoroughfare-streets, and many by-streets, consist wholly, or for the
most part, of a succession of sooks.

Many of the kháns of Cairo are similar to the sooks just described; but
in general, a khán consists of shops or magazines surrounding a square
or oblong court.

Khán El-Khaleelee, which is situated in the centre of that part which
constituted the original city, a little to the east of the main street,
and occupies the site of the cemetery of the Fawátim (the Khaleefehs[25]
of Egypt), particularly deserves to be mentioned, being one of the chief
marts of Cairo. It consists of a series of short lanes, with several
turnings, and has four entrances from different quarters. The shops in
this khán are mostly occupied by Turks, who deal in ready-made clothes
and other articles of dress, together with arms of various kinds, the
small prayer-carpets used by the Muslims, and other commodities. Public
auctions are held there (as in many other markets in Cairo) twice in the
week, on Monday and Thursday, on which occasions the khán is so crowded,
that, in some parts, it is difficult for a passenger to push his way
through. The sale begins early in the morning, and lasts till the
noon-prayers. Clothes (old as well as new), shawls, arms, pipes, and a
variety of other goods, are offered for sale in this manner by brokers,
who carry them up and down the market. Several water-carriers, each with
a goat-skin of water on his back, and a brass cup for the use of any one
who would drink, attend on these occasions. Sherbet of raisins, and
bread (in round, flat cakes), with other eatables, are also cried up and
down the market; and on every auction day, several real or pretended
idiots, with a distressing number of other beggars, frequent the khán .

Another of the principal khán of Cairo is that called the Kamzáwee,
which is the principal market of the drapers and silk-mercers.

Footnote 25:

The bones of the Khaleefehs were thrown on the mounds of rubbish
outside the city.

There are few other kháns in Cairo, or rather few other buildings so
designated; but there are numerous buildings called wekálehs, which are
of the same description as most of the kháns, a wekáleh generally
consisting of magazines surrounding a square court.

The Wekálet el-Gellábeh (or Wekáleh of the slave-merchants), which is
near the Khán El-Khaleelee, has lately ceased to be the market for black
slaves. It surrounds a spacious square court, in which were generally
seen several groups of male and female slaves, besmeared with grease (of
which they are very fond), and nearly in a state of nudity, excepting in
winter, when they were better clad, and kept within doors. As there is a
thoroughfare through this wekáleh, the slaves were much exposed to
public view. The market for black slaves is now at Káid-Bey, which is a
city of the dead, comprising a few old habitations for the living,
between the metropolis and the neighbouring mountain. The
slave-merchants were obliged to transfer their unfortunate captives to
this cemetery in the desert in consequence of its having been
represented to the government that epidemic diseases originated in the
slave-market in Cairo. I have not visited them, nor do I intend to do
so; for although slavery in the East is seen under the most favourable
circumstances, I am not disposed to try my feelings when I can do no
good. But I am told that they appear careless and happy; for their
greatest troubles are past, and they know that the slave of the Muslim
fares even better than the free servant. Some of the more valuable of
the female slaves (as the _white_ female slaves, to whom another wekáleh
is appropriated) are only shown to those persons who express a desire to
become purchasers.

Having now described the streets and markets of Cairo, I may mention
some particular quarters, &c. There are some parts which are inhabited
exclusively by persons of the same religion or nation. Many quarters are
inhabited only by Muslims.[26]

Footnote 26:

About three-fourths of the population of Cairo are native Muslims.

The quarter of the Jews (Hárat el-Yahood) is situated in the western
half of that portion of the metropolis which composed the original city.
It is very extensive, but close and dirty. Some of its streets, or
rather lanes, are so narrow, that two persons can barely pass each other
in them; and in some parts, the soil has risen by the accumulation of
rubbish a foot or more above the thresholds of the doors.

The Greeks have two quarters, and the Copts have several, of which some
are very extensive. The Franks inhabit not only what is called the
quarter of the Franks (Hárat el-Ifreng), but are interspersed throughout
a considerable district, situated between the canal (which runs through
the city) and the Ezbekeeyeh, of which latter I shall presently give you
a description.

The motley population of the part of the metropolis where most of the
Franks reside, gives it the appearance of a quarter in a sea-port town,
like Alexandria. Some of the Franks retain their national costume;
others adopt partly or wholly the Turkish dress. The chief thoroughfare
street in this part of the town is the market, called the Mooskee, where
are a few shops fitted up in the European style, with glass fronts, and
occupied by Franks, who deal in various European commodities. The Hárat
el-Ifreng is a short street leading out of the Mooskee, on the southern
side.

There are several vacant spaces of considerable extent in the interior
of the metropolis, some of which, during the season of the inundation
(the autumn), become lakes. The principal of these I must here mention.

The great place which bears the name of the Ezbekeeyeh is an irregular
tract, the greatest length of which is nearly half a mile, and the
greatest breadth about a third of a mile. It is a very favourite resort
of mine, as my children are there secure from the many dangers which I
fancy surround them in the crowded streets.

On the south are two modern Turkish palaces, with gardens. On the west
is a plain wall (part of the wall of the metropolis), and another
Turkish palace, occupying the site of the mansion of the famous Memlook
Bey El-Elfee, which became the residence of Napoleon, and of Kleber, who
was assassinated in the adjacent garden. On the north side is a
Christian quarter, presenting a long row of lofty but neglected houses.
During the season of the inundation, the Nile enters this extensive
tract by a canal, and the place is partially inundated; the water
remains three or four months, after which the ground is sown. It was
formerly, during the season of the inundation, one extensive lake, but
is now converted into something like a garden, with an agreeable mixture
of trees and water. I am told that the place has a much more pleasing
appearance when entirely clothed with green, than it had when it was a
lake; and so I should imagine, for the water is very turbid.

The Birket el-Feel (or Lake of the Elephant) also receives the water of
the Nile, during the season of the inundation. Only a small part of it
is open to the public.

There are two small lakes in the western part of the metropolis, and
several others in its vicinity. There are also several cemeteries in the
eastern part of the town,[27] and many large gardens. These gardens are
chiefly stocked with palm-trees, acacias, sycamores, oranges, limes,
pomegranates, &c. Little arrangement is displayed in them. They have
generally one or more sákiyehs, which raise the water for their
irrigation from wells.

Footnote 27:

The principal cemeteries are without the town.

The canal[28] (El-Khaleeg) which traverses the metropolis is no ornament
to it. In most parts of its course through the town, it is closely
hemmed in on each side by the backs of houses; therefore it cannot be
seen, excepting in a few places, by the passengers in the streets. Most
of the bridges over it are moreover lined with shops on both sides, so
that a person passing over cannot see that he is crossing the canal. The
water of the Nile is admitted into the canal in August, and the entrance
is closed by a dam of earth not long after the river has begun to
subside; consequently, after three or four months, only stagnant puddles
remain in it. While it continues open, boats enter it from the Nile, and
pass through the whole length of the metropolis.

Footnote 28:

This canal is the ancient Amnis Trajanus.

Of the public buildings of Cairo, the most interesting certainly are the
mosques, the more remarkable of which I have described to you. They are
extremely picturesque, and exquisite taste is displayed in the variety
and elegance of their mád’nehs or menarets: but the beauty of these and
other parts is, in my opinion, much injured by the prevalent fashion of
daubing the alternate courses of stone with whitewash and dark-red
ochre. The central part of a great mosque is, in general, a square
court, which is surrounded by porticoes, the columns of which are, in
few cases, uniform; for they are mostly the spoils of ancient temples,
as are also the rich marble slabs, &c., which have been employed to
decorate the pavements and the lower portions of the inner faces of the
walls in many of the mosques.

The domes are beautiful in form, and, in some instances, in their
decorations. The pulpits, also, deserve to be mentioned for their
elegant forms, and their curious intricate panel-work. The pulpit is
placed with its back against the wall in which is the niche; is
surmounted by a small cupola, and has a flight of steps leading directly
(never tortuously nor sideways) up to the little platform which is the
station of the preacher. The congregation range themselves in parallel
rows upon the matted or carpeted pavement, all facing that side of the
mosque in which is the niche. These few general remarks will enable you
better to understand the accounts of particular mosques, or to supply
some deficiencies in my descriptions.

Many of these buildings are doubtless monuments of sincere piety; but
not a few have certainly originated in ways far from creditable to their
founders. I passed by one, a handsome building, respecting which I was
told the following anecdote. The founder, on the first occasion of
opening his mosque for the ceremonials of the Friday prayers, invited
the chief ’Ulama to attend the service, and each of these congratulated
him before the congregation, by reciting some tradition of the Prophet,
or by some other words of an apposite nature, excepting one. This man
the founder addressed, asking wherefore he was silent. “Hast thou
nothing to say,” he asked, “befitting this occasion?” The man thus
invited readily answered, “Yes. If thou has built this mosque with money
lawfully acquired, and with a good intention, know that God hath built
for thee a mansion in Paradise, and great will be thy felicity. But if
thou raised this temple by means of wealth unlawfully obtained, by money
exacted from the poor by oppression and tyranny, know that there is
prepared for thee a place in hell, and evil will be the transit
thither.” The latter was the case; and within a few hours after he had
thus spoken, the only one among the company of ’Ulama who had dared to
utter the language of truth on this occasion—to do which, indeed,
required no little courage—suddenly died, a victim, as was well known,
of poison.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER X.

Cairo, November, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Being extremely anxious to see the interiors of the principal mosques, I
was much vexed at finding that it had become very difficult for a
Christian to obtain access to them. My brother might, perhaps, have
taken us without risk, as he is generally mistaken for a Turk; but had
he done so, we might have been spoken to in some mosque in the Turkish
language, in which language we could not have replied; whereas, if we
were conducted by a Caireen, no Turkish ladies were likely to address
us, and if any Arab ladies should do so, our Arabic would only induce
them to imagine us Turks. At length an old friend of my brother offered
to take me if I would consent to ride after him in the streets and
follow him in the mosques, and appear to be, for the time being, the
chief lady of his hareem.

It appeared to me that I should commit a breach in etiquette, by
consenting thus to displace his wife (for he has _but one_); but finding
he would not consent to take me on any other terms, and being bent on
gratifying my curiosity, I agreed to submit to his arrangement, and the
more readily because his wife expressed, with much politeness the
pleasure she anticipated in contributing to my gratification. I had
never seen my kind old conductor but once, and then through the hareem
blinds, until the morning arrived for our expedition, when I and my
sister-in-law mounted our donkeys, and submitted ourselves to his
guidance. He rode first in the procession; I next; then followed my
sister-in-law; and lastly, his wife. We endeavoured on several occasions
to induce her to take a more distinguished place, but in vain, and
therefore came to the conclusion that she must be infinitely better
acquainted with Eastern manners than ourselves, and that it would be
safer and better not to oppose her. I use the expression safer, because
I was fully aware that if we appeared in any respect _un_-eastern, or
rather if we did not _look_ like Muslims, we should incur the risk of
being turned out of any mosque we might enter, and loaded with reproach
and insult.

With (I confess) nervous feelings, we stopped at one of the entrances of
the mosque of the Hasaneyn, which is generally esteemed the most sacred
in Cairo. It was crowded with ladies who were paying their weekly visit
to the tomb of El-Hoseyn.

I felt that I had rather have been initiated before entering the _most
sacred_ mosque, and thought I had been too bold. Never did a submissive
wife walk more meekly after her husband than I followed the steps of my
governor _pro tempore_. I gained, however, some confidence by remarking
the authoritative air he assumed as soon as he had passed the threshold
of the mosque; indeed he played his part admirably.

At the threshold all persons remove their shoes, or slippers, the ladies
walking, in the mosque, in the yellow morocco socks, or boots, which I
have before described to you; and here I must remark on the scrupulous
attention which is paid to cleanliness; for the pale yellow morocco is
scarcely injured by a whole day spent in perambulating these Muslin
sanctuaries. The men generally carry the shoes in the left hand through
the mosque, placed sole to sole, and some ladies carry theirs, but we,
like many others, preferred leaving them with our servants, for the
walking-dress in itself is so exceedingly cumbrous, and requires so much
management, that two hands are scarcely sufficient to preserve its
proper arrangement.

The mosque of the Hasaneyn,[29] which is situated to the north of the
Azhar, and not far distant, was founded in the year of the Flight 549
(A.D. 1154–5); but has been more than once rebuilt. The present building
was erected about 70 years ago. The fore part consists of a handsome
hall, or portico, the roof of which is supported by numerous marble
columns, and the pavement covered with carpets. Passing through this
hall, I found myself in that holy place under which the head of the
martyr El-Hoseyn is said to be buried deep below the pavement. It is a
lofty square saloon, surmounted by a dome. Over the spot where the
sacred relic is buried, is an oblong monument, covered with green silk,
with a worked inscription around it. This is enclosed within a high
screen of bronze, of open work; around the upper part of which are
suspended several specimens of curious and elegant writing. The whole
scene was most imposing. The pavements are exquisite; some of
virgin-marble, pure and bright with cleanliness, some delicately inlaid:
and the whole appearance is so striking, that I am persuaded if a
stranger were to visit the shrine of El-Hoseyn _alone_, he would never
believe that El-Islam is on the wane.

Footnote 29:

By the Hasaneyn are meant Hasán and Hoseyn, the grandsons of the
Prophet.

All the visitors whom I saw passed round the tomb, walking from left to
right, touching each corner of the screen with the right hand, and then
applying that hand to their lips and forehead, reciting at the same
time, but inaudibly, the Fát’hah (or opening chapter of the Kur-án), a
ceremony also observed on visiting _other_ tombs. Many were most
devoutly praying, and one woman kissed the screen with a fervour of
devotion which interested while it grieved me. For myself, however, I
can never think of the shrine of El-Hoseyn without being deeply affected
by reflecting upon the pathetic history of that amiable man, in whom
were combined, in an eminent degree so many of the highest Christian
virtues.

We next bent our steps to El-Záme el-Azhar (or the splendid mosque[30]),
which is situated, as I have said, to the south of the Hasaneyn, and not
far distant, midway between the principal street of the city and the
gate called Báb El-Ghureiyib. It is the principal mosque of Cairo, and
the _University of the East;_ and is also the first, with regard to the
period of its foundation, of all the mosques of the _city;_ but it has
been so often repaired, and so much enlarged, that it is difficult to
ascertain exactly how much of the _original_ structure we see in the
present state of the mosque. It was founded about nine months after the
first wall of the city, in the year of the Flight 359 (A. D. 969–70).
Though occupying a space about three hundred feet square, it makes but
little show externally; for it is so surrounded by houses, that only its
entrances and mád’nehs can be seen from the streets. It has two grand
gates, and four minor entrances. Each of the two former has two doors,
and a school-room above, open at the front and back. Every one takes off
his shoes before he passes the threshold of the gate, although if he
enter the mosque by the principal gate, he has to cross a spacious court
before he arrives at the place of prayer. This custom is observed in
every mosque. The principal gate is in the centre of the front of the
mosque: it is the nearest to the main street of the city. Immediately
within this gate are two small mosques; one on either hand. Passing
between these, we enter the great court of the Azhar, which is paved
with stone, and surrounded by porticoes. The principal portico is that
which is opposite this entrance: those on the other three sides of the
court are divided into a number of riwáks or apartments for the
accommodation of the numerous students who resort to this celebrated
university from various and remote countries of Africa, Asia, and
Europe, as well as from different parts of Egypt.

Footnote 30:

Some travellers have strangely misinterpreted the name of this
building, calling it the “mosque of flowers.”

These persons, being mostly in indigent circumstances, are supported by
the funds of the mosque; each receiving a certain quantity of bread and
soup at noon, and in the evening. Many blind paupers are also supported
here, and we were much affected by seeing some bent with age, slowly
walking through the avenues of columns, knowing from habit every turn
and every passage, and looking like the patriarchs of the assembled
multitude. The riwáks are separated from the court, and from each other,
by partitions of wood, which unite the columns or pillars. Those on the
side in which is the principal entrance are very small, there being only
one row of columns on this side; but those on the right and left are
spacious halls containing several rows of columns. There are also some
above the ground-floor. Each riwák is for the natives of a particular
country, or of a particular province in Egypt; the Egyptian students
being of course more numerous than those of any other nation.

In going the round of these apartments, after passing successively among
natives of different divisions of Egypt, we find ourselves in the
company of people of Mekkeh and El-Medeeneh; then in the midst of
Syrians; in another minute among Muslims of central Africa; next amidst
Maghár’beh (or natives of northern Africa, west of Egypt); then, with
European and Asiatic Turks; and quitting these, we are introduced to
Persians, and Muslims of India: we may almost fancy ourselves
transported through their respective countries. No sight in Cairo
interested me more than the interior of the Azhar; and the many and
great obstacles which present themselves when a Christian, and more
especially a Christian lady, desires to obtain admission into this
celebrated mosque, make me proud of having enjoyed the privilege of
walking leisurely through its extensive porticoes, and observing its
heterogeneous students engaged in listening to the lectures of their
professors.

To the left of the great court is a smaller one, containing the great
tank at which the ablution preparatory to prayer is performed by all
those who have not done it before entering the mosque. The great portico
is closed by partitions of wood between a row of square pillars, or
piers, behind the front row of columns. The partition of the central
archway has a wide door; and some of the other partitions have smaller
doors. The great portico is very spacious; containing eight rows of
small marble columns, arranged parallel with the front. That part beyond
the fifth row of columns was added by the builder of one of the grand
gates, about 70 years ago. The walls are whitewashed: the niche and
pulpit are very plain; and simplicity is the prevailing character of the
whole of the interior of the great portico. The pavement is covered with
mats; and a few small carpets are seen here and there.

A person of rank or wealth is generally accompanied by a servant bearing
a seggádeh (or small prayer-carpet, about the size of a hearth-rug),
upon which he prays. During the noon-prayers of the congregation on
Friday, the worshippers are very numerous; and, arranged in parallel
rows, they sit upon the matting.

Different scenes at other times are presented in the great portico of
the Azhar. We saw many lecturers addressing their circles of attentive
listeners, or reading to them commentaries on the Kur-án. In most cases
these lecturers were leaning against a pillar, and I understand that in
general each has his respective column, where his pupils regularly
attend him, sitting in the form of a circle on the matted floor. Some
persons take their meals in the Azhar, and many houseless paupers pass
the night there, for this mosque is left open at all hours. Such customs
are not altogether in accordance with the sanctity of the place; but
peculiarly illustrative of the simplicity of Eastern manners.

We next visited the fine mosque of Mohammad Bey, founded in the year of
the Flight 1187 (A. D. 1773–4), adjacent to the Azhar. This is
remarkable as a very noble structure, of the old style, erected at a
late period.

The great mosque of that impious impostor the Khaleefeh _El-Hakim_ (who
professed to be a prophet, and afterwards to be God incarnate) derives
an interest from the name it bears, and from its antiquity. It is
situated immediately within that part of the northern wall of the city
which connects the Báb en-Nasr and Báb el-Futooh. This mosque was
completed in the reign of El-Hákim, in the year of the Flight 403 (A. D.
1012–13); but was founded by his predecessor. It is now in a state of
ruin, and no longer used as a place of worship. It occupies a space
about 400 feet square, and consists of arcades surrounding a square
court.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XI.

November, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I will continue the subject I left incomplete in my last. Several of the
finest mosques in Cairo front the main street of the city. In proceeding
along this street from north to south, the first mosque that
particularly attracts notice is the Barkookeeyeh, on the right side.

This is a collegiate mosque, and was founded in the year of the Flight
786 (A. D. 1384–5). It has a fine dome, and a lofty and elegant mád’neh;
and the interior is particularly handsome, though in a lamentable state
of decay.

A little beyond this, on the same side of the street, are the tomb,
mosque, and hospital of the Sultán Kalá-oon, composing one united
building. The tomb and mosque form the front part; the former is to the
right of the latter; and a passage, which is the general entrance, leads
between them to the hospital (Máristán.[31]) These three united
buildings were founded in the year of the Flight 683 (A. D. 1284–5). The
tomb has a very large mád’neh, and is a noble edifice; its front is
coloured red and white, in squares: the interior is very magnificent.
The mosque is not remarkable. The hospital contains two small oblong
courts, surrounded by small cells, in which mad persons are confined and
chained; men in one court, and women in the other. Though these wretched
beings are provided for by the funds of the establishment, it is the
custom to take them food, and they ask for it in a manner which is most
affecting. But here I must make one consolatory remark: the poor
creatures have certainly more than enough to eat, for none seemed
hungry, and I observed that one of the men threw down a piece of bread
which was given to him.

Footnote 31:

Vulgarly pronounced Muristan.

Judging by my own anxiety to ascertain the real state of the poor
lunatics in the Máristán, I cannot describe to you their condition too
minutely. Our ears were assailed by the most discordant yells as soon as
we entered the passage leading to the cells. We were first conducted
into the court appropriated to the men, one of our servants attending us
with the provisions. It is surrounded by small cells, in which they are
separately confined, and each cell has a small grated window, through
which the poor prisoner’s chain is fastened to the exterior. Here seemed
exhibited every description of insanity. In many cells were those who
suffered from melancholy madness; in _one only_ I saw a cheerful maniac,
and he was amusing some visitors exceedingly by his jocose remarks.
Almost all stretched out their arms as far as they could reach, asking
for bread, and one poor soul especially interested me by the melancholy
tone of his supplications. Their outstretched arms rendered it
frequently dangerous to pass their cells, for there is a railing in the
midst of the court, surrounding an oblong space, which I imagine has
been a tank, but which is now filled with stones; and this railing so
confines the space appropriated to visitors, that one of our party was
cautioned by the superintendent when she was not aware she was in arms’
length of the lunatics.

I trust that the mildness and gentleness of manner we observed in the
keepers were not assumed for the time, and I think they were not, for
the lunatics did not appear to fear them. The raving maniacs were
strongly chained, and wearing each a collar and handcuffs. One poor
creature endeavoured, by constantly shaking his chain, to attract pity
and attention. They look unlike human beings; and the manner of their
confinement, and the barren wretchedness of their cells, contributed to
render the scene more like a menagerie than any thing else. It is true
that this climate lessens the requirements of every grade in society, so
that the poor generally sleep upon the bare ground, or upon thin mats;
but it is perfectly barbarous to keep these wretched maniacs without any
thing but the naked floor on which to rest themselves, weary, as they
must be, by constant excitement.

I turned sick at heart from these abodes of wretchedness, and was led
towards the court of the women. Little did I expect that scenes
infinitely more sad awaited me. No _man_ being permitted to enter the
part of the building appropriated to the women, the person who had
hitherto attended us gave the provision we had brought into the hand of
the chief of the female keepers. The maniacs sit within the doors of
open cells surrounding their court, and there is no appearance of their
being confined. I shrunk as I passed the two first, expecting they would
rush out; but being assured that they were chained, I proceeded to look
into the cells, one by one. The first lunatic I remarked particularly,
was an old and apparently blind woman, who was an object of peculiar
interest, from the expression of settled sadness in her countenance.
Nothing seemed to move her. A screaming raving maniac was confined in a
cell nearly opposite to hers; but either from habit, or the
contemplation of her own real and imagined sorrows, the confusion seemed
by her perfectly unheeded. The cell next to hers presented to my view a
young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years of age, in a perfect state
of nudity; she sat in a crouching attitude, in statue-like stillness,
and in the gloom of her prison she looked like stone. The next poor
creature was also young, but older than the preceding, and she merely
raised her jet-black eyes and looked at us through her dishevelled hair,
not wildly, but calmly and vacantly. She, too, had no article of
clothing. I was ill-prepared for the sight of such misery, and I hastily
passed the poor, squalid, emaciated, raving maniacs, all without any
covering; and was leaving the court, when I heard a voice exclaiming, in
a melancholy tone of supplication, “Stay, O my mistress, give me five
paras for tobacco before you go.” I turned, and the entreaty was
repeated by a nice-looking old woman, who was very grateful when I
assured her she should have what she required. She was clothed, and
sitting almost behind the entrance of her cell, and seemed on the
lookout for presents. The woman who was the superintendent gave her the
trifle for me, and I hope she was permitted to spend it as she desired.
She and the first I saw were the only two who were not perfect pictures
of misery. If insanity, the most severe of human woes, calls for our
tenderest sympathy, the condition of these wretched lunatics in Cairo
cries aloud for our deepest commiseration. How their situation can be
mended, I know not; the government alone can interfere, and the
government does not.

We were informed that the establishment was endowed with remarkable
liberality. It is, and always has been, a hospital for the sick, as well
as a place of confinement for the insane; and originally, for the
entertainment of those patients who were troubled with restlessness, a
band of musicians and a number of story-tellers were in constant
attendance.

The friend who conducted us related some anecdotes of the poor maniacs,
to which I listened with interest. The first, I am told, has been
related by some European traveller, in a work descriptive of the
Egyptians; but as I do not know by whom, and you may not have read or
heard it, I will give you that as well as the others.

A butcher, who had been confined some time in the Máristán, conceived an
excessive hatred for a Delee (a Turkish trooper), one of his
fellow-prisoners. He received his provision of food from his family; and
he induced his wife one day, on the occasion of her taking him his
dinner, to conceal, in the basket of food, the instruments he had used
in his trade, viz., a cleaver, a knife, and a pair of hooks. I must here
observe, that those lunatics who do not appear dangerous have lighter
chains than others, and the chains of the person in question were of
this description. When he had taken his meal, he proceeded to liberate
himself; and as the cells communicated by the back, he soon reached that
of his nearest neighbour, who, delighted to see him free, exclaimed,
“How is this? Who cut your chains?” “I did,” replied the first, “and
here are my implements.” “Excellent,” rejoined the other, “cut mine
too.” “Certainly,” said he; and he proceeded to liberate not only one,
but two, three, and four of his fellow-prisoners. Now follows the
tragical part of the story. No keepers were present—the man who
possessed the cleaver attacked the poor Delee, chained and unarmed as he
was; slaughtered him; and after dividing his body, hung it on the hooks
within the window of the cell, and believed himself to be—what he was—a
butcher.

In a few minutes the liberated lunatics became uproarious; and one of
them growing alarmed, forced open the door by which the keepers usually
entered, found one of them, and gave the alarm. The keeper instantly
proceeded to the cell, and seeing the body of the murdered man,
exclaimed:

“What, have you succeeded in killing that Delee? he was the plague of my
life.” “I have,” answered the delinquent; “and here he hangs for sale.”
“Most excellent,” replied the keeper, “but do not let him hang here; it
will disgrace us: let us bury him.” “Where?” asked the maniac, still
holding his cleaver in his hand. “Here in the cell,” replied the other,
“and then the fact can never be discovered.” In an instant he threw down
his cleaver, and began to dig busily with his hands. In the mean time,
the keeper entered by the back of the cell, and throwing a collar over
his neck, instantly chained him, and so finished this tragedy.

Some time since, the brother of the person who gave the following
anecdote, on the occasion of his visiting the Máristán, was accosted by
one of the maniacs by name, and greeted him with the usual salutations,
followed by a melancholy entreaty that he would deliver him from that
place. On examining him particularly, he found him to be an old friend;
and he was distressed by his entreaties to procure for him his
liberation, and perplexed what to do. The lunatic assured him he was not
insane, and at length the visitor resolved on applying for his release.
Accordingly he addressed himself to the head-keeper on the subject,
stated that he was much surprised by the conversation of the patient,
and concluded by requesting his liberation. The keeper answered that he
did appear sane at that time, but that perhaps in an hour he might be
raving.

The visitor, by no means satisfied by the reply of the keeper, and
overcome by the rational arguments of the lunatic, urged his request,
and at length he consented, saying, “Well, you can try him.” This being
arranged, in a short time the two friends set out together; and, engaged
in conversation, they passed along the street, when suddenly, the maniac
seized the other by the throat, exclaiming, “Help, O Muslims! here is a
madman escaped from the Máristán.” He wisely suffered himself to be
dragged back in no gentle manner to the very cell whence he had released
the poor lunatic; and the latter, on entering, called loudly for a
collar and chain for a maniac he had found in the street, escaped from
the Máristán. The keeper immediately brought the collar and chain; and
while pretending to obey his orders, slipped it over his neck, and
secured him in his former quarters, I need not say, to the satisfaction
of his would-be deliverer.

Our conductor also related, that some years ago, a maniac, having
escaped from his cell in the Máristán, when the keepers had retired for
the night, ascended the lofty mád’neh of the adjoining sepulchral
mosque, the tomb of the Sultán Kala’oon. Finding there, in the gallery,
a Muëddin, chanting one of the night-calls, uttering, with the utmost
power of his voice, the exclamation “Yá Rabb!”(O Lord!) he seized him by
the neck. The terrified Muëddin cried out, “I seek God’s protection from
the accursed devil! God is most great!”—“I am not a devil,” said the
madman, “to be destroyed by the words, ‘God is most great!’” (Here I
should tell you that these words are commonly believed to have the
effect here ascribed to them, that of destroying a devil.) “Then what
art thou?” said the Muëddin. “I am a madman,” answered the other,
“escaped from the Máristán.” “O welcome!” rejoined the Muëddin: “praise
be to God for thy safety! come, sit down, and amuse me with thy
conversation.” So the madman thus began: “Why do you call out so loud,
‘O Lord!’ Do you not know that God can hear you as well if you speak
low?” “True,” said the other, “but I call that men may also hear.”
“Sing,” rejoined the lunatic; “_that_ will please me.” And upon this,
the other commenced a kind of chant, with the ridiculous nature of which
he so astonished some servants of the Máristán, who, as usual, were
sitting up in a coffee-shop below, that they suspected some strange
event had happened, and hastily coming up, secured the madman.

After what I have told you of the miserable creatures at present
confined in the Máristán, I am very happy to add, that their condition
will, I believe, in a few weeks, be greatly ameliorated. They are, I
have since heard, to be removed to an hospital, where they will be under
the superintendence of a celebrated French surgeon, Clot Bey.

I now return to the subject of the mosques.

Proceeding still southwards along the main street, we arrived at a fine
mosque, called the Ashrafeeyeh, on the right. It was built by the Sultán
El-Ashraf Barsabáy, consequently between the years 825–41 (A.D. 1421 _et
seq._). Frequently criminals are hanged against one of the grated
windows of this mosque; as the street before it is generally very much
crowded with passengers.

Still proceeding along the main street, through that part of it called
the Ghóreeyeh (which is a large bazaar, or market), we arrive at the two
fine mosques of the Sultán El-Ghóree, facing each other, one on each
side of the street, and having a roof of wood extending from one to the
other. They were both completed in the year of the Flight 909 (A.D.
1503–4). That on the left, El-Ghóree designed as his tomb; but he was
not buried in it.

Arriving at the southernmost part of the main street, we have on our
right the great mosque of the Sultán El-Mu-eiyad, which was founded in
the year of the Flight 819 (A.D. 1416–17). It surrounds a spacious
square court, and contains the remains of its royal founder, and of some
of his family. It has a noble dome, and a fine lofty entrance-porch at
the right extremity of the front. Its two great mád’nehs, which rise
from the towers of the gate called Báb Zuweyleh (the southern gate of
that portion of the metropolis which constituted the old city).

Of the mosques in the _suburban_ districts of the metropolis, the most
remarkable are those of the Sultán Hasan and of Ibn-Tooloon, or, as the
name is commonly pronounced, Teyloon.

The great mosque of the Sultán Hasan, which is situated near the
citadel, and is the most lofty of the edifices of Cairo, was founded in
the year of the Flight 757 (A.D. 1356). It is a very noble pile; but it
has some irregularities which are displeasing to the eye; as, for
instance, the disparity of its two mád’nehs. The great mad’neh is nearly
three hundred feet in height, measured from the ground. At the right
extremity of the northeast side of the mosque is a very fine lofty
entrance-porch. From this, a zigzag passage conducts us to a square
hypæthral hall, or court, in the centre of which is a tank, and near
this, a reservoir with spouts, for the performance of ablution; each
crowned with a cupola. On each of the four sides of the court is a hall
with an arched roof and open front. That opposite the entrance is the
largest, and is the principal place of worship. Its arched roof is about
seventy feet in width. It is constructed of brick and plastered (as are
the other three arches), and numerous small glass lamps, and two
lanterns of bronze, are suspended from it. The lower part of the end
wall is lined with coloured marbles. Beyond it is a square saloon, over
which is the great dome, and in the centre of this saloon is the tomb of
the royal founder. Most of the decorations of this mosque are very
elaborate and elegant, but the building, in many parts, needs repair.

The great mosque of Ibn-Tooloon (or, as it is more commonly called,
Gámë’ Teyloon), situated in the southern part of the metropolis, is a
very interesting building. It was founded in the year of the Flight 263
(A.D. 876–7), and was the principal mosque of the city El-Katáë, a city
nearly a century older than El-Káhireh. The space which it occupies is
about 400 feet square. It is constructed of brick, covered with plaster,
and consists of arcades surrounding a square court; in the centre of
which is a tank for ablution, under a square stone building, surmounted
by a dome. The arches in this mosque are slightly pointed: this is very
remarkable, as it proves, as the mosque was constructed A.D. 876–7, and
has never been rebuilt, that the Eastern pointed arch is more ancient
than the Gothic. This remark I borrow from my brother’s manuscript
notes. A great mád’neh, with winding stairs round its exterior, stands
on the northwest side of the mosque; with which it is only connected by
an arched gateway. The whole of this great mosque is in a sad state of
decay; and not even kept decently clean, excepting where the mats are
spread. It is the most ancient Arabian building, excepting the Nilometer
of Er-Ródah (which is about 12 years older), now existing in Egypt: for
the mosque of ’Amr, though founded more than two centuries before, has
often been rebuilt.

In the neighbourhood of the mosque above described is a large ruined
castle or palace, called Kal’at el-Kebsh (or the Castle of the Ram),
occupying, and partly surrounding, an extensive rocky eminence. It was
built in the middle of the seventh century after the Flight (or the
thirteenth of our era). Its interior is occupied by modern buildings.

The mosques of the seyyideh Zeyneb, the seyyideh Sekeeneh, and the
seyyideh Nefeeseh (the first and second situated in the southern part of
the metropolis, and the third in a small southern suburb without the
gates) are highly venerated, but not very remarkable buildings. There
are many other mosques in Cairo well worthy of examination; but those
which I have mentioned are the most distinguished.

I have been surprised at my having visited the most sacred of the
mosques of Cairo without exciting the smallest suspicion of my being a
Christian. A few days ago a party of Englishmen were refused admission
into the Hasaneyn. They were conducted by a janissary of the Pasha, and
he was exceedingly enraged against the officers of the mosque. They
seized him, however, and drew him into the mosque, and closing the doors
and windows, detained him, shutting out his party; but the interpreter
of the Englishmen, being a Muslim, obtained admission by a back door,
and liberated the prisoner.

There are, in Cairo, many public buildings, besides the mosques, which
attract attention. Among these are several Tekeeyehs, or convents for
Darweeshes and others, mostly built by Turkish Pashas, for the benefit
of their countrymen. Some of these are very handsome structures.

Many of the Sebeels (or public fountains) are also remarkable buildings.
The general style of a large sebeel may be thus described. The principal
part of the front is of a semicircular form, with three windows of brass
grating. Within each window is a trough of water; and when any one would
drink, he puts his hand through one of the lowest apertures of the
grating, and dips in the trough a brass mug, which is chained to one of
the bars. Above the windows is a wide coping of wood. Over this part of
the building is a public school-room, with an open front, formed of
pillars and arches; and at the top is another wide coping of wood. Some
of these buildings are partly constructed of alternate courses of black
and white marble.

Hóds, or watering-places for beasts of burden, are also very numerous in
Cairo. The trough is of stone, and generally in an arched recess, over
which is a public school-room.

There are, as my brother has remarked, about sixty or seventy Hammáms,
or public baths, in Cairo. Some are exclusively for men, some only for
women: others, for men in the morning, and for women in the afternoon.
When the bath is appropriated to women, a piece of white cotton is hung
over the door. The apartments are paved with marble, have fountains and
tanks, and are surmounted by cupolas, pierced with small round holes for
the admission of light.

The last of the buildings I shall mention are the Kahwehs, or
coffee-shops, of which Cairo contains above a thousand. Only coffee is
supplied at these; the persons who frequent them taking their own pipes
and tobacco.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XII.

December, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

From the city, you must now accompany me, in imagination, to the
citadel. If you could do so in reality, you would be amply repaid for
the trouble of ascending its steep acclivities; not by the sight of any
very remarkable object within its walls, but by gazing on one of the
most striking and interesting views in the Eastern world. The citadel
(El-Kat’ah) is situated at the southeastern extremity of the metropolis,
upon an extensive, flat-topped, rocky eminence, about 250 feet above the
level of the plain, and near the point of Mount Mukattam, which
completely commands it. It was founded by Saláh-ed-Deen (the famous
Saladin), in the year of the Flight 572 (A.D. 1176–7); but not finished
till 604; since which latter period it has been the usual residence of
the sultans and governors of Egypt. Before it is a spacious square,
called the Rumeyleh, where a market is held, and where conjurers,
musicians, and storytellers are often seen, each surrounded by a ring of
idlers.

The Bab el-’Azab is the principal gate of the citadel. Within this is a
steep and narrow road, partly cut through the rock; so steep, that in
some parts steps are cut to render the ascent and descent less difficult
than it would otherwise be for the horses and camels, &c. This confined
road was the chief scene of the massacre of the Memlooks in the year
1811. I may perhaps have something to say, on a future occasion,
respecting that tragedy.

A great part of the interior of the citadel is obstructed by ruins and
rubbish, and there are many dwelling-houses and some shops within it.
The most remarkable monument that it contains is a great mosque, built
by the Sultán Ibn-Kala’-oon, in the early part of the eighth century
after the Flight (or the fourteenth of our era). It is in a ruinous
state, and no longer used as a place of worship. It consists of
porticoes, surrounding a square court.

On the northwest of this mosque, stood, about twelve or thirteen years
ago, a noble ruin—an old palace, commonly called Kasr Yoosuf, or Deewán
Yoosuf, and believed to have been the palace of Yoosuf Saláh-ed-Deen;
but erroneously. European travellers adopted the same opinion, and
called it “Joseph’s Hall.” My brother informs me, on the authority of
El-Makreezee, that this noble structure was built by the prince before
mentioned.[32] Huge ancient columns of granite were employed in its
construction; their capitals of various kinds, and ill-wrought, but the
shafts very fine. It had a large dome, which had fallen some time before
the ruin was taken down. On entering it was observed, in the centre of
the southeastern side, a niche, marking the direction of Mekkeh, like
that of a mosque, which in other respects this building did not much
resemble. Both within and without are remains of Arabic inscriptions, in
large letters of wood; but of which many had fallen long before its
demolition.

Footnote 32:

The Sultán Ibn-Kala’-oon.

A little to the west of the site of the old palace were the remains of a
very massive building, called “the house of Yoosuf Saláh-ed-Deen,”
partly on the brow, and partly on the declivity of the hill. From this
spot, on the edge of the hill, we have a most remarkable view of the
metropolis and its environs. Its numerous mád’nehs and domes, its
flat-topped houses, with the sloping sheds which serve as ventilators,
and a few palms and other trees among the houses, give it an appearance
quite unlike that of any European city. Beyond the metropolis we see the
Nile, intersecting a verdant plain; with the towns of Boolák, Masr
Ateekah, and El-Geezeh; on the south, the aqueduct, and the mounds of
rubbish which occupy the site of El-Fustát, and in the distance, all the
pyramids of Memphis, and the palm-groves on the site of that city. On
the north of the metropolis are seen the plains of Heliopolis and
Goshen. No one with a spark of feeling can look unmoved on such a
prospect: the physical sight has enough to charm it; but the deepest
interest is felt while, in gazing on this scene, the mind’s eye runs
rapidly over the historic pages of the Word of God. The oppression and
the deliverance of the tribes of Israel, and the miracles which marked
that deliverance, all these events are overwhelmingly present to the
memory, while looking on the scenes they have consecrated—their
subsequent prosperity, disobedience, and punishment, all pass in
melancholy review. O! that the power of Almighty God may be present with
those who labour for their restoration, and “may they at length,” as Mr.
Wilberforce beautifully expresses his petition on their behalf “may they
at length acknowledge their long-neglected Saviour.” Well have they been
described as “tribes of the wandering foot and weary breast.” Often
“houseless, homeless, and proscribed,” they endure every indignity and
become inured to every hardship; but the eye of God is still upon them,
and his ear is open to their prayers. How true it is, that hitherto
“they _will_ not turn to Him that they might receive mercy,” but they
are not forsaken; and while we hear with thankfulness of the zeal of
many from among their own people in the cause of Christianity, we trust
that the day is not far off when, rather than

“Weep for those who wept by Babel’s stream,
Whose shrines are desolate, whose land a dream,”

we shall rejoice in the prospect of that blessed time when the Lord God
shall “give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;” when all nations of
the earth shall “rejoice with Jerusalem, and be delighted with the
abundance of her glory.”

Adjacent to the Kasr Yoosuf is a very large mosque, not yet completed; a
costly structure, with a profusion of alabaster columns; but of a mixed
style of architecture, which I cannot much admire, though the effect of
the building, when it is finished, will certainly be grand. I need
hardly add, that the founder of this sumptuous edifice is Mohammad
’Alee, by whose name it is to be called.

The famous well of Yoosuf Saláh-ed-Deen, so called because it was
excavated in the reign of that Sultán, is near the southern angle of the
old great mosque. It is entirely cut in the calcareous rock, and
consists of two rectangular shafts, one below the other; with a winding
stairway round each to the bottom. In descending the first shaft my
heart and limbs failed me, and I contented myself with seeing as much as
I could through the large apertures between the stairs and the well. Our
guide bore a most picturesque aspect; she was a young girl, and if I
might judge by her beautiful dark eyes, her countenance must have been
lovely. She held a lighted taper in each hand, and stepped backwards
before us, down the dark and (in my opinion) dangerous descent.
Accustomed to the winding way, she continued fearlessly through the
gloom, while her light and graceful figure receded slowly, and the
glimmer of her tapers shone on the damp rock on either side, and made
the darkness seem intense.

The upper shaft is about 155 feet deep, and the lower about 125;
therefore the whole depth of the well is about 280 feet. The water,
which is rather brackish, is raised by a sákiyeh at the top of each
shaft.

There are several large edifices in the modern Turkish style, worthy in
this country of being called palaces, in the southern quarter of the
citadel, and in the quarter of the Janisaries, which did not form a part
of the _old_ citadel, and which lies to the east of the latter. Some of
the walls, together with many houses, on the northern slope of the hill,
were overthrown by the explosion of a magazine of powder, in the year
1824. On the western slope of the hill is an arsenal, with a
cannon-foundry, &c.

Mount Mukattam overlooks both the town and citadel of Cairo, and is
composed of a yellowish calcareous rock, abounding with testaceous
fossils: it is entirely destitute of verdure. Upon its flat summit, a
strong fort has been erected, with a steep causeway, upon high narrow
arches ascending to it. On each side of this causeway, the rock has been
extensively quarried. On the western side of the mountain are many
ancient sepulchral grottoes; but they are difficult of access, and I do
not propose visiting them. My brother has seen them, and he could find
no traces of hieroglyphics, or other decorations, in any of them.

On the north of the metropolis are many gardens, and, in the season of
the inundation, many lakes, in one of which (Birket er Ratlee) abundance
of lotus plants are seen in blossom in the month of September. In the
same tract is a ruined mosque, which was founded by Ez-Záhir Beybars, in
the year of the Flight 665 (A. D. 1266–7). The French converted it into
a fort.

Opposite the Báb en-Nasr is a large cemetery, occupying a desert tract;
and here is the tomb of the lamented Burckhardt.

The great Eastern cemetery, in the sandy waste between the metropolis
and the mountain, contains the tombs of many of the Memlook Sultáns.
Some of these mausolea (which have been erroneously regarded by some
travellers as the tombs of the Khaleefehs) are very noble buildings;
particularly those of the Sultáns Barkook,[33] and Káid-Bey,[34] or
Káitbey. None of the tombs of the Khaleefehs of Egypt now exist: Khán
el-Khaleelee (as I have mentioned in a former letter) occupies their
site. The central part of this cemetery contains several almshouses, and
is commonly called Káid-Bey. Here, and for some distance towards the
citadel, the tombs are closely crowded together, and the whole cemetery,
being intersected by roads, like streets in a town, may justly be called
a Necropolis, or City of the Dead. All the tract is desert; and few
persons are to be met here, excepting on the Friday morning, when it is
the custom of the Muslims to visit the tombs of their relations and
friends. Numerous groups of women are then seen repairing to the
cemetery; each bearing a palm-branch, to lay upon the tomb she is about
to visit.

Footnote 33:

Built by his son and successor Fárag, in the beginning of the ninth
century after the Flight, or the fifteenth of our era.

Footnote 34:

Built about a century after the former.

On the south of the metropolis is another great cemetery, called
El-Karáfeh, still more extensive, but not containing such grand
mausolea. This, also, is in a desert plain. Many of its tombs are very
beautiful: one kind is particularly elegant, consisting of an oblong
monument, generally of marble, canopied by a cupola, or by a pyramidal
roof, supported by marble columns. In the southern part of this cemetery
is the tomb of the celebrated Imám Esh-Sháfe’ee, the founder of one of
the four orthodox sects of El-Islám, that sect to which the people of
Cairo chiefly belong. This Imám died in the year of the Flight 204 (A.
D. 819–20.) The present mosque which covers his tomb, is a plain
whitewashed building, with a dome cased with lead. This mosque has been
twice rebuilt, the present being the third building, and about two
centuries and a half old. A little to the north of it is a low building,
which is the burial-place of the present Pasha’s family. Between this
cemetery and the mountain are many ancient mummy-pits choked with
rubbish. They evidently show that this tract was the Necropolis of
Egyptian Babylon.

Along the western side of the metropolis are several lakes and gardens.
The most remarkable of the latter are those of Ibraheem Pasha; but these
I might more properly call plantations. I have mentioned them in a
former letter. A great portion of the tract they occupy was, a few years
ago, covered by extensive mounds of rubbish, which, though not so large
nor so lofty as those on the east and south, concealed much of the town
from the view of persons approaching it in this direction. All the
camels, asses, &c., that die in the metropolis are cast upon the
surrounding hills of rubbish, where hungry dogs and vultures feed on
them.

On the bank of the river, between Boolák and Masr el-’Ateekah, are
several palaces, or mansions, among which is one belonging to Ibraheem
Pasha, besides a large square building called Kasr El-’Eynee (which is
an establishment for the education of youths destined for the service of
the government,) and a small convent of Darweeshes. A little to the
south of these buildings is the entrance of the khaleeg, or canal of
Cairo; and just above this commences the aqueduct by which the water of
the Nile is conveyed to the Citadel. A large hexagonal building, about
sixty or seventy feet high, contains the sákiyehs, which raise the water
to the channel of the aqueduct. The whole length of the aqueduct is
about two miles. It is built of stone; and consists of a series of
narrow arches, very gradually decreasing in height, as the ground has a
slight ascent, imperceptible to the eye. The water, towards the end of
its course, enters a subterranean channel, and is raised from a well in
the Citadel. This aqueduct was built (in the place of a former one of
wood) in the early part of the tenth century after the Flight (or the
sixteenth of our era.) To the south of the aqueduct lies the town of
Masr el-’Ateekah, the principal houses of which face the river, and the
island of Er-Ródah.

This island (the name of which signifies the Island of the Garden) is
about a mile and three-quarters in length, and a third of a mile in
breadth. The branch of the river on its eastern side is very narrow; and
when the Nile is at its lowest point, the bed of this narrow branch
becomes nearly dry. The island contains several pleasure-houses and
gardens; and the palm, the orange, the lime, the citron, the
pomegranate, the vine, the sycamore, (which affords a deep and broad
shade,) and the banana, form a luxuriant variety. The banana is
especially beautiful; its long leaves spreading and drooping from the
summit of the stem, like the branches of the palm-tree. On this verdant
island we find also the henna-tree, so much esteemed by the women of
this country for the dye afforded by its leaves, and so justly valued by
persons of all countries for the delicious perfume which its flowers
exhale. But the great charm of Er-Ródah is a garden belonging to
Ibraheem Pasha, under the able superintendence of Mr. Traill, who has
rendered it the most attractive thing of its kind in the neighbourhood
of Cairo.

Masr el-’Ateekah, though more than a mile in length, is a small
straggling town, lying along the bank of the Nile, and occupying a part
of the site of El-Fustát. Many of the vessels from Upper Egypt unload
here; and a constant intercourse is kept up, by means of numerous
ferryboats, between this town and El-Geezeh. Behind the town are
extensive low mounds of rubbishy covering the rest of the site of
El-Fustát. In this desolate tract are situated the Mosque of ’Amr, the
Kasr esh-Shema, and several Christian convents.

The Mosque of ’Amr has been so often repaired and rebuilt, that almost
every part of it may now be regarded as modern: yet there is something
very imposing in the associations connected with this building, where
the conqueror of Egypt, surrounded by “companions of the Prophet,” so
often prayed.

The building occupies a space about 350 feet square; its plan is a
square court, surrounded by porticoes, and its whole appearance very
simple and plain. The exterior is formed by high bare walls of brick.
The portico at the end of the court towards Mekkeh has six rows of
columns; that on the left side, four rows; that on the right, three; and
on the entrance side only one row. The columns are of veined marble;
some, being too small, have an additional plinth, or an inverted
capital, at the base. The capitals are of many different kinds, having
been taken, as also the columns, from various ancient buildings.

The Kasr esh-Shema is an old Roman fortress, which was the stronghold of
Egyptian Babylon, and the headquarters of the Greek army, which the
Arabs, under ’Amr, contended with and vanquished. It is said that this
building was, in ancient times, illuminated with candles on the first
night of every month; and hence it derived the name it now bears, which
signifies “the pavilion of the candles.” The area which it occupies
extends about a thousand feet from north to south, and six or seven
hundred feet from east to west. Its walls are very lofty, constructed of
brick with several courses of stone, and strengthened by round towers.
The interior is crowded with houses and shops, occupied by Christians,
and it contains several churches; among which is that of St. Sergius,
where a small grotto, somewhat resembling an oven, is shown as the
retreat of the Holy Family. The Egyptian Babylon was situated on a rocky
eminence, on the southeast of the Kasr esh-Shema. El-Makreezee and other
Arab historians prove that this was the Masr which ’Amr besieged and
took. There was another fortress here, besides the Kasr esh-Shema,
called the Kasr Bábel-yoon (or the pavilion of Babylon.) This, I am
told, was the spacious square building since called Istabl ’Antar (or
the stable of Antar,) which in later times became a convent, and is now
converted into a powder-magazine. To the west of the hill of Babylon,
and close to the Nile, is the small village of Atar em-Nebee; so called
from a stone, bearing the impression of the Prophet’s foot, preserved in
a small mosque, which rises, with a picturesque effect, from the verge
of the river.

El-Geezeh, which is opposite to Masr el-Ateekah, is a small poor town,
surrounded, excepting on the side towards the river, by a mean wall,
which would scarcely avail to defend it from a party of Bedawees. It has
been supposed to occupy a part of the site of Memphis; but this
conjecture is known to be erroneous.

I must mention also a few places north of the metropolis. A fine
straight road, bordered by mulberry trees, sycamores, and acacias, leads
to Shubra, the favourite country residence of the Pasha, rather more
than three miles from Cairo. The palace of Shubra is situated by the
Nile. Its exterior is picturesque, especially as viewed from the river,
and it has an extensive garden laid out with much taste.

About six miles distant from the northern gates of the metropolis,
towards the north-northeast, is the site of Heliopolis, the City of the
Sun, called by the Egyptians, “On;” and by the Arabs, “Eyn-Shems,” or,
“the fountain of the sun;” though, to bear this signification, the name
should, I am told, be written “Eyn esh-Shems,” which may also be
interpreted, “the rays, or light of the sun.” The route from Cairo to
the site of Heliopolis lies along the desert; but near the limits of the
cultivable soil. This part of the desert is a sandy flat, strewed with
pebbles, and with petrified wood, pudding-stone, red sandstone, &c. A
small mountain of red sandstone, called “El-Gebel el-Ahmar” (or “the red
mountain,”) lies at a short distance to the right, or east. On
approaching within a mile of the site of Heliopolis, the traveller
passes by the village of El-Matareeyeh, where are pointed out an old
sycamore, under the shade of which (according to tradition,) the Holy
Family reposed, and a well which afforded them drink. The balsam-tree
was formerly cultivated in the neighbouring fields: it thrived no where
else in Egypt; and it was believed that it flourished in this part
because it was watered from the neighbouring well. The name given by the
Arabs to Heliopolis was perhaps derived from this well. In a space above
half a mile square, surrounded by walls of crude brick, which now appear
like ridges of earth, were situated the sacred edifices of Heliopolis.
The only remaining monument appearing above the soil is a fine obelisk,
standing in the midst of the enclosure. The Arabs call it “the obelisk
of Pharaoh.” It is formed of a single block of red granite, about
sixty-two feet in height, and six feet square at the lower part. The
soil has risen four or five feet above its base; for, in the season of
the inundation, the water of the Nile enters the enclosure by a branch
of the canal of Cairo. Upon each of its sides is sculptured the same
hieroglyphic inscription, bearing the name of Osirtesen the First, who
reigned not very long after the age when the pyramids were constructed.
There are a few other monuments of his time: the obelisk of the Feryoo’m
is one of them. ’Abd El-Lateef, in speaking of Eyn-Shems, says that he
saw there (about the end of the twelfth century of the Christian era)
the remains of several colossal statues, and _two_ great obelisks, one
of which had fallen, and was broken in two pieces. These statues, and
the broken obelisk, probably now lie beneath the accumulated soil.

Such are the poor remains of Heliopolis, that celebrated seat of
learning, where Eudoxus and Plato studied thirteen years, and where
Herodotus derived much of his information respecting Egypt. In the time
of Strabo, the _city_ was altogether deserted; but the famous temple of
the sun still remained, though much injured by Cambyses. The bull Mevis
was worshipped at Heliopolis, as Apis was at Memphis. It is probable
that the “land of Goshen” was immediately adjacent to the province of
Heliopolis, on the north-northeast.

Thirteen miles from Cairo, in the same direction as Heliopolis, is the
village of El-Khánkeh, once a large town, and long the camp of the
regular troops. El-Khánkeh is two miles to the north of the Lake of the
Pilgrims, which is so called because the pilgrims collect and encamp by
it before they proceed in a body to Mekkeh. This lake is more than two
miles in length, from west to east, and a mile in breadth. It is filled
by the canal of Cairo during the season of the inundation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XIII.

December, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

You must bear with me if I recur to the subject of the haunted house,
for our disturbances came to a sort of climax which I think as curious
as it was exciting, and so strikingly characteristic, that I must
describe to you the particulars of the case.

Ramadán ended about a month ago, and with it ended the comparative quiet
of our nights. To describe to you all the various noises by which we
have been disturbed is impossible. Very frequently the door of the room
in which we were sitting late in the evening, within two or three hours
of midnight, was violently knocked at many short intervals: at other
times, it seemed as if something very heavy fell upon the pavement close
under one of the windows of the same room, or of one adjoining, and as
these rooms were on the top of the house, we imagined at first that some
stones or other things had been thrown by a neighbour, but we could find
nothing outside after the noises I have mentioned. The usual noises
continued during the greater part of the night, and were generally like
a heavy trampling, like the walking of a person in large clogs, varied
by knocking at the doors of many of the apartments, and at the large
water-jars which are placed in recesses in the galleries. Our maids have
come and gone like shadows ever since our residence here, excepting
during Ramadan, and _sauve qui peut_ seems to have been their maxim; for
they believe that one touch of an ’efreet would render them demoniacs.

A few evenings since, a maid, who had only passed two days in the house,
rushed to our usual sitting-room, whence she had just removed our
supper, exclaiming that a tall figure in white had stood with arms
outspread at the entrance of the upper gallery to prevent her passing.
We all immediately returned with her, and as you will anticipate, found
nothing. This white figure our servants call a saint, and they assert
that the house is haunted by a saint and an ’efreet. One man assures us
that this same saint, who is, to use his expression, “of dazzling
whiteness,” applied himself one night to the bucket of the well in the
court, and having drawn up water, performed his ablutions and said his
prayers. Frightening servant maids is rather inconsistent, I ween, with
such conduct. Certainly the servants do not complain without reason, and
it is particularly grievous, because there is not, throughout the whole
healthful part of the city, one comfortable house vacant.

During Ramadan, the Muslims believe that ’efreets are imprisoned, and
thus our servants accounted for our freedom from annoyance during that
month. We on the other hand believed we had bolted and barred out the
offender, by having discovered his place of ingress, and were much
disappointed at finding our precaution useless.

A few days since, our doorkeeper (a new servant), complained that he not
only could not sleep, but that he _never had_ slept since his arrival
more than a few minutes at a time, and that he never could sleep
consistently with duty, unless the ’efreet should be destroyed. He
added, that he came up every night into the upper gallery leading to our
sleeping-rooms, and there he found the figure I have mentioned, walking
round and round the gallery; and concluded with an anxious request that
my brother would consent to his firing at the phantom, saying that
devils have always been destroyed by the discharge of firearms. My
brother consented to the proposal, provided the servant used neither
ball nor small shot. Two days and nights passed, and we found on the
third, that the doorkeeper was waiting to ascertain whether the spectre
were a saint or a devil, and had therefore resolved to question him on
the ensuing night before he fired.

The night came, and it was one of unusual darkness. We had really
forgotten our man’s intention, although we were talking over the subject
of the disturbances until nearly midnight, and speculating upon the
cause, in the room where my children were happily sleeping, when we were
startled by a tremendous discharge, which was succeeded by the deep
hoarse voice of the doorkeeper, exclaiming “There he lies, the
accursed!” and a sound as of a creature struggling and gasping for
breath. In the next moment, the man loudly called his fellow servant,
crying, “Come up, the accursed is struck down before me!”—and this was
followed by such mysterious sounds that we believed either a man had
been shot, and was in his last agonies, or that our man had accidentally
shot himself.

My brother went round the gallery, while I and my sister-in-law stood
like children trembling hand in hand, and my boys mercifully slept (as
young ones do sleep), sweetly and soundly through all the confusion and
distress. It appeared that the man used not only ball-cartridge, but put
two charges of powder, with two balls, into his pistol. I will describe
the event, however, in his own words. “The ’efreet passed me in the
gallery and repassed me, when I thus addressed it. ‘Shall we quit this
house, or will you do so?’ ‘You shall quit it,’ he answered; and passing
me again, he threw dust into my right eye. This proved he was a devil,”
continued the man; “and I wrapped my cloak around me, and watched the
spectre as it receded. It stopped in that corner, and I observed
attentively its appearance. It was tall and perfectly white. I stooped,
and before it moved again, discharged my pistol, which I had before
concealed, and the accursed was struck down before me, and here are the
remains.” So saying, he picked up a small burnt mass, which my brother
showed us afterwards, resembling more the sole of a shoe than any thing
else, but perforated by fire in several places, and literally burnt to a
cinder. This, the man asserted (agreeably with a popular opinion), was
always the relic when a devil was destroyed, and it lay on the ground
under a part of the wall where the bullets had entered.

The noise which succeeded the report, and which filled me with horror,
is, and must ever remain, a mystery. On the following morning we closely
examined the spot, and found nothing that could throw light on the
subject. The burnt remains do not help us to a conclusion; one thing,
however, I cannot but believe—that some one who had personated the evil
one suffered some injury, and that the darkness favoured his escape. It
is truly very ridiculous in these people to believe that the remains of
a devil resemble the sole of an old shoe. It reminds me of the condensed
spirits of whom we read in the “Thousand and One Nights,” who were (so
say tradition) bottled up, hermetically sealed, and thrown into the sea,
by order of Suleyman the son of Da-ood.

I need scarcely say that the servant was reprimanded for disobeying his
orders with regard to charging the pistol. With this one exception, he
proved ever obedient, most respectful, and excellent in every point. I
really believe the man was so worn out by want of sleep, and exasperated
by finding the same figure nightly pacing round the galleries, and
preventing his rest, that he became desperate.

You will remember the story, in the “Thousand and One Nights,” of the
revenge threatened by an ’efreet on a merchant, for having unconsciously
slain his son by throwing a date-stone, which occasioned a mortal wound.
The fear of unknowingly injuring an ’efreet and incurring his resentment
is as strong as ever in the minds of these people. They always say
“Destoor” (permission) when about to step down from any elevated place,
or when they see another person going to do so. A poor little boy fell
on his face the other day near our house, and hurt himself certainly,
but before he cried, he exclaimed, “Destoor!” I suppose concluding that
if he had fallen on an ’efreet unwittingly, the asking permission after
the fact might cancel the offence; and having done so he was satisfied,
and cried heartily.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XIV.

Cairo, February, 1833.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

You know how much I desire to obtain access to respectable hareems, as
well those of the highest as those of the middle classes; and now that
my hope has been realized, I find that I did not desire what would
disappoint my expectations. Indeed I have felt exceedingly interested in
observing the manners of the ladies of this country; in some cases I
have been amused by their familiarity, and in many fascinated by the
natural grace of their deportment. I am aware that by description I
cannot do them justice, but I will endeavour to give you faithful
pictures of those hareems I have already seen; and first I must tell you
that I am indebted exceedingly to the kindness of Mrs. Sieder, the lady
of our excellent resident missionary, who has gained the confidence of
the most distinguished hareems in this country, and has given me some
introductions I particularly desired, without any reserve, and in the
most ready and friendly manner. Among the ladies to whom she has
introduced me are those of Habeeb Eféndee, the late governor of Cairo;
and in relating to you the particulars of my first visit to them, I give
you an account of my initiation into the mysteries of the high hareems.

I had been some time in Cairo before I dared to mount the “high ass;”
for their appearance is really formidable. I adopted the plan followed
by many ladies here, that of a prayer-carpet spread on a common saddle;
but in visiting the _high_ hareems, it became necessary to ride the
_high_ ass; and I found it infinitely more agreeable than my usual
donkey’s equipment. Certainly I was obliged constantly to stoop my head
under the gateways, and came nearly in contact with some projecting
first-floor windows; therefore I found it necessary to be on the alert;
but setting aside these objections, there is no comparison to be made
between the “high ass” and the ordinary donkeys—the former is so
decidedly preferable.

When we arrived at the house of Habeeb Eféndee, and had passed the outer
entrance, I found that the hareem apartments, as in other houses of the
great in this country, are not confined to the first and upper floors,
but form a separate and complete house, distinct from that of the men.
Having passed a spacious hall, paved with marble, we were met at the
door of the first apartment by the elder daughter of Habeeb Eféndee, who
gave me the usual Eastern salutation, touching her lips and forehead
with her right hand, and then insisted on removing my riding-dress
herself, although surrounded by slaves. This was a mark of extraordinary
condescension, as you will presently see. In the houses of the middle
classes, the ladies generally honour their visitors by disrobing them of
their riding-dress; but in the high hareems this office is generally
performed by slaves, and only by a member of the family when a guest is
especially distinguished.

In visiting those who are considered the noble of the land, I resume,
under my Eastern riding costume, my English dress; thus avoiding the
necessity of subjecting myself to any humiliation. In the Turkish
in-door costume, the manner of my salutations must have been more
submissive than I should have liked; while, as an Englishwoman, I am
entertained by the most distinguished, not only as an equal, but
generally as a superior. I have never given more than the usual
salutation, excepting in the case of addressing elderly ladies, when my
inclination leads me to distinguish them by respectfully bending, and
lowering my right hand before I touch my lips and forehead, when I am
presented, and when I leave them. On receiving sweetmeats, coffee,
sherbet, or any refreshment, and on returning the cup, plate, &c., which
contain them, I give always the customary salutation to the chief lady
of the hareem, whose situation on the divan points her out as the
superior of the party.

At home, and when visiting ladies of the middle class, I wear the
Turkish dress, which is delightfully comfortable, being admirably
adapted to the climate of this country. I have never gone out but in the
Eastern riding-dress, which I have already described to you.

When the lady I have mentioned had removed my surtout apparel, a slave
in attendance received them in an exquisite pink kerchief of cashmere,
richly embroidered with gold. The kerchiefs of this kind, in the hareems
of the wealthy, are generally very elegant, but that was the most
perfect specimen I have seen of correct and tasteful embroidery. The
riding-dress was immediately taken into another room, according to a
usual custom, which is observed for the purpose of creating a short
delay, giving an opportunity to offer some additional refreshment when
the guest has proposed to take her leave. My new acquaintance then
conducted me to the divan, and placed me next to the seat of honour,
which was reserved for her mother, the first cousin of the late Sultán
Mahmoud, who soon entered the room, and gave me a cordial welcome,
assigning to me the most distinguished seat on her right hand, the same
to which her daughter had conducted me, while the grandmother of Abbas
Pasha sat on her left. She was soon followed by her second daughter, who
greeted me with much politeness, and in a very elegant manner assured me
that I was welcome. She was more richly attired than her sister;
therefore I will describe to you her dress.

She wore on her head a dark handkerchief twisted round a tarboosh, with
a very splendid sprig of diamonds attached to the right side, and
extending partly over her forehead. The sprig was composed of very large
brilliants, disposed in the form of three lutes, in the centre, from
each of which a branch extended, forming an oval shape, at least five
inches in length. High on the left side of her head she wore a knot or
slide of diamonds, through which was drawn a bunch of ringlets, which,
from their position, appeared to be artificial; her tarboosh had the
usual blue silk tassel, but this was divided and hanging on either side.
Her long vest and trousers were of a dark flowered India fabric; she
wore round her waist a large and rich cashmere shawl; and her neck was
decorated with many strings of very large pearls, confined at intervals
by gold beads. She was in one respect strangely disfigured; her eyebrows
being painted with kohl, and united by the black pigment in a very broad
and most unbecoming manner. Many women of all classes here assume this
disguise: some apply the kohl to the eyebrows as well as to the eyes,
with great delicacy; but the lady in question had her eyebrows so
remarkable, that her other features were deprived of their natural
expression and effect.

A number of white slaves formed a large semicircle before us, and
received from others, who waited in the ante-chamber, silver trays,
containing glass dishes of sweetmeats. There were three spoons in each
dish, and two pieces of sweetmeat in each spoon. These were immediately
succeeded by coffee, which was also brought on silver trays; the small
china cups being, as usual, in stands, shaped like egg-cups; but these
were not, as in ordinary houses, simply of silver filigree, or plain,
but decorated with diamonds. They were certainly elegant, but more
costly than beautiful. The coffee is never handed on the tray, but
gracefully presented by the attendant, holding the little stand between
the thumb and finger of the right hand. After these refreshments a short
time elapsed, when two slaves brought in sherbet on silver waiters, in
exceedingly elegant cut-glass cups, with saucers and covers. Each tray
was covered with a round pink richly-embroidered cover, which the slave
removed as she approached us. To receive our cups, of the contents of
which, according to custom, we drank about two-thirds, another slave
approached, with a large white embroidered kerchief, ostensibly for the
purpose of wiping the mouth; but any lady would be thought quite a
novice who did more than touch it with her lips.

In the course of conversation, I expressed my admiration of the Turkish
language, and, to my surprise, the elder of the young ladies gave me a
general invitation, and proposed to become my instructress: addressing
herself to Mrs. Sieder with the most affectionate familiarity, she said,
“O my sister, persuade your friend to come to me frequently, that I may
teach her Turkish; in doing which, I shall learn her language, and we
can read and write together.” I thanked her for her very polite offer,
but made no promise that I would become her pupil; foreseeing that it
would lead to a very considerable waste of time. In all the hareems I
have visited, Arabic is understood and spoken; so I do not expect any
advantage from a knowledge of Turkish, unless I could devote to its
study considerable attention.

The perfect good humour and cheerfulness which pervaded this
family-circle is well worthy of remark, and much engaged my thoughts
during the morning of my visit. All that I observed of the manners of
the Eastern women, at Habeeb Eféndee’s and elsewhere, leads me to
consider the perfect contrast which the customs of Eastern life present
to the whole construction of European society. If you have read Mr.
Urquhart’s “Spirit of the East,” you have felt interested in his view of
the life of the hareem, and have thought that the Eastern “home” which
he represents in such a pleasing manner possesses considerable
attractions. Believe me, there is much to fascinate and much to interest
the mind in observing peculiarities in these people which have no
parallel in the West; and I could furnish a letter on contrasts nearly
as curious as Mr. Urquhart’s.

How extraordinary it seems that girls, until they are given away in
marriage, see only persons of their own sex, with the exception of a few
very near male relations, and then receive as their future lord and
master one with whom no previous acquaintance has been possible! This is
so revolting to the mind of an Englishwoman, that the mere consideration
of such a system (which indeed, I am told, is beyond what the rigour of
the law requires) is intolerable; therefore I must observe, and admire
all that is admirable, and endeavour to forget what is so objectionable
in the state of Eastern society.

Before our departure it was proposed that I should see their house; and
the elder daughter threw her arm round my neck, and thus led me through
a magnificent room which was surrounded by divans; the elevated portion
of the floor was covered with India matting, and in the middle of the
depressed portion was the most tasteful fountain I have seen in Egypt,
exquisitely inlaid with black, red, and white marble. The ceiling was a
beautiful specimen of highly-wrought arabesque work, and the walls as
usual whitewashed, and perfectly plain, with the exception of the lower
portions, which, to the height of about six feet, were cased with Dutch
tiles.

I was conducted up stairs in the same manner; and I could not help
feeling exceedingly amused at my situation; and considering that these
ladies are of the royal family of Turkey, you will see that I was most
remarkably honoured.

When we approached the bath, we entered the reclining room, which was
furnished with divans, and presented a most comfortable appearance; but
the heat and vapour were so extremely oppressive in the region of the
bath, that we merely looked into it, and gladly returned to the cool
gallery. I am not surprised that you are curious on the subject of the
bath and the Eastern manner of using it; and I hope to devote a future
letter to a description of the operation (for such indeed it may be
styled), and the place in which that operation is performed.

On our reaching the stairs, the second daughter of Habeeb Eféndee took
her sister’s place; and with her arm round my neck, we descended the
stairs, and re-entered the room where I had received so kind a
reception. When we rose to take our leave, the elder daughter received
my riding-dress from a slave, and was about to attire me, when her
sister said, “You took them off; it is for me to put them on.” The elder
lady partly consented, retaining the habarah, and thus they dressed me
together. Then, after giving me the usual salutation, they each
cordially pressed my hand, and kissed my cheek. We then descended into
the court, attended by the ladies, and a crowd of white slaves. Having
crossed the court, we arrived at the great gate, through which I had
before passed, which was only closed by a large mat, suspended before
it, forming the curtain of the hareem. This mat was raised by black
eunuchs, who poured from a passage without, and immediately after the
ladies bade us farewell, and returned, followed by their slaves. The
principal eunuch ascended first the mounting platform, and placed me on
the donkey, while two others arranged my feet in the stirrups; our own
servants being kept in the background.

A few days after this visit, I received a second invitation from this
hareem, with the polite assurance that they intended making a festival
and fantasia for my amusement.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XV.

April, 1843.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

You will congratulate us on our having quitted “the haunted house;” and
you will do so heartily when I tell you that six families have succeeded
each other in it, in as many weeks, since our departure. The sixth
family was about to quit immediately when we heard this news; five
having been driven out by most obstinate persecutions, not only during
the nights, but in broad daylight, of so violent a description, that the
windows were all broken in a large upper chamber, our favourite room.
The sixth family suffered similar annoyances, and also complained that
much of their china was demolished. Like ourselves, no one has been able
to obtain quiet rest in that house, or rather I should say, others have
been in a worse state than ourselves, for we obtained some relief in
consequence of our doorkeeper’s achievement. And now I hope I have done
with this subject. I have said much upon it, but I must be held
excusable, as “’tis passing strange.”

Our present house is extremely commodious, and much taste and judgment
have been displayed in its construction. The terrace is extensive and
very picturesque, and the upper rooms are well situated. Most of the
rooms are furnished with glass windows, and the house altogether, being
exceedingly well built, is adapted for affording warmth in the winter,
and proving a cool summer residence.

With regard to a sojourn in Egypt, it is not an easy matter to give you
the _pour et contre_. Of one thing I am convinced, that persons must
remain a year in this country, that is, they must go the round of the
seasons, or nearly so, before they can fully judge of the comforts it
offers. I well remember the extreme annoyance I experienced, for some
months after our arrival, from the unusually prolonged heat, of which I
complained to you, and from the flies and musquitoes, which were really
and constantly distressing; and I could scarcely believe what people
told me, namely, that I should soon find myself very well contented with
the climate of the country. As to the musquitoes, they interfere so much
with enjoyment, that a traveller who visits Egypt during the great heat
may assert, with truth, that he has no comfort by day, nor by night
until he enters his curtain. I confess that I often feared we could not
remain here as long as I wished. No sooner, however, did the Nile
subside, than my hopes revived; and finding that the most charming
temperature imaginable succeeded the heat, I began to understand what
travellers mean when they call this a delicious climate. November is a
sweet month here—December and January are rather too cold, taking into
consideration that there are neither fire-places nor chimneys in any of
the houses, excepting in the kitchens. February and March are perfectly
delightful, the temperature then being almost as mild as summer in
England. During April there occur some instances of hot wind, otherwise
it is an agreeable month. In May the hot winds are trying, and then
follow four months of oppressive heat.

Devoted as I am, justly, to my own dear country and her blessed
associations, I can give you my candid opinion, without any fear that I
shall be suspected of preferring a residence in the Levant to my English
home, and will show you, without reserve, in what consist the
fascinations of this part of the East;—in the climate, in the manners of
the people, and in the simplicity of their habits, which not only
attract my admiration, but render me much less affected by their general
poverty than I am by less distress in my own country. It is very certain
that if a daily journal were published in Cairo, we should not see
paragraphs headed “death by starvation,” “distressing case,” &c.; but
why is it? for there are no houses here for the reception of the poor,
as in England. It results from the contented spirit of the poor, if
provided simply with bread and water; and, more than all, from the sort
of family union which subsists throughout the East, and which literally
teaches the poor to “bear each other’s burthens.” In visiting the middle
and higher classes of society, the same family compact is observable,
and the mother of the family continues always the mother and the head;
her gentle reign lasting with her valued life, and the love and respect
of those around her increasing with her years. It is asserted, that when
Mohammed was asked what relation had the strongest claim on affection
and respect, he replied with warmth, “The mother! the mother! the
mother!”

All blood relations in the East take precedence of the wife, who is
received into a family as a younger sister. It could scarcely be
suffered here, or in Turkey, that a father or mother should quit a house
to make way for a son’s wife. This you will remember is remarked in Mr.
Urquhart’s “Spirit of the East;” and let me ask you, is not this as it
should be? I cannot understand how any person with a spark of nature in
his breast could allow a beloved parent to resign what a child should be
willing to shed his heart’s blood to preserve.

In obtaining an insight into the habits and manners of the women, I
possess considerable advantages; first, from my brother’s knowledge of
the East, and secondly, from my plan of adhering strictly to habits
cherished by the people, which system has secured at once their respect,
while it has excited their surprise. We have even gone so far as to
adopt their manner of eating; and here I must digress to beg you not to
say “How very disgusting!” but read _how_ we do it, and then you may
confess that it is not so unpleasant as you thought. The dishes are
prepared in a very delicate manner; for instance, small cucumbers and
other vegetables of a similar kind are scooped out and stuffed with
minced meat and rice; minced meat is wrapped in vine-leaves, and so
dexterously cooked, that each leaf with its contents continues compact,
and is easily taken in the fingers. Fried meat in cakes, and the same in
form of sausages, are equally convenient; and all I have mentioned, and
a hundred others (for there is a great variety in their cookery), may be
taken almost as delicately as a slice of cake. For soups, rice prepared
in the Eastern manner, and stews, we use spoons; and so do the Turks.
One difficulty occasionally presents itself; but not at home. The chief
lady of a house, to do her guests honour, presents them with morsels of
her own selection, with her own fingers; and in some cases repeats this
compliment frequently. It would be a positive affront to refuse these;
and I am quite sure that no Englishwoman can so far strain her
politeness as to eat as much as her hostess, in her excessive
hospitality, desires, though the latter sets her a wonderful example. I
have really seen the ladies of this country eat as much as should
suffice for three or four moderate meals at one sitting. But to return
to my difficulty. I always found it to be the best plan to receive
readily, for a time, the morsels which were offered; and when satisfied,
to accept perhaps another, and sometimes two or three; at the same time
assuring my entertainer, that they were redundant, but that her viands
were so extremely well chosen, that I must, after the repast, inquire
who has superintended the _cuisine_, and derive from her some
information. Thus I removed the impression which was immediately formed,
that the dinner was not dressed agreeably with my taste: and induced
only the remark, that “the English eat so much less than the Easterns;”
accompanied by regret that so little satisfied me, but followed by an
expression of pleasure that the dinner was so agreeable to me.

I have not found the system of Eastern etiquette difficult of adoption;
and from the honourable manner in which I have been received, and
treated, and always pressed to repeat my visit, I may draw the
conclusion fairly, that I have understood how to please the people. It
has been a favourite opinion of mine, and one in which I have been
educated, that a little quiet observation of the manners and habits of
others will always prevent those differences about trifles which so
often disturb society, and sometimes separate even friends. Here I have
indeed found the advantage of exercising this observation, and it has
proved the means of securing to me invariably polite attention and
respect.

I think you would be amused could you see our dinner-arrangements at
home. First, a small carpet is spread on the mat; then, a stool cased
with mother-of-pearl, &c. is placed upon it, and serves as the support
of a round tray of tinned copper, on which is arranged our dinner, with
a cake of bread for each person. A maid then brings a copper ewer and
basin, and pours water on the hands of each of our party, and we arrange
ourselves round the tray, our Eastern table-napkins spread on our knees.
These are larger and longer than English hand-towels, that they may
cover both knees when sitting in the Turkish manner. During the meal,
the maid holds a water-bottle, or defends us from flies with a
fly-whisk. Having no change of plates, knives, or forks, no time is lost
at dinner; and it usually occupies twenty minutes. Thus, much valuable
time is saved by avoiding works of supererogation. One or two sweet
dishes are placed on the tray with those which are savoury; and it is
singular to see the women of this country take morsels of sweet and
savoury food almost alternately. Immediately after dinner, the ewer and
basin are brought round, the stool and carpet are removed with the tray,
and the stool is always placed in another room until again required.
There is something very sociable in this mode of sitting at table, and
it is surprising to see how many persons can sit with comfort round a
comparatively small tray. I should advise you and other friends in
England to resume the use of small round tables: I have often regretted
they are no longer in fashion: for a small family, they are infinitely
more comfortable than the large square or oblong tables used in England.

It is true, as you suppose, that I am sometimes amused at my position,
and more particularly so, when, on the occasion of any thing heavy being
brought into the hareem, one of the men passes through the passage
belonging to it. Their approach is always announced by their saying
audibly “O Protector! (Ya Sátir) and “Permission!” (Destoor), several
times. Excepting on such occasions, no man approaches the hareem but the
sakka, or water-carrier; and I often think that any person with a
knowledge of Arabic, and none of the habits of the people, would think
these sakkas devotees, judging by their constant religious ejaculations.
The men are quite as careful in avoiding the hareem, as the ladies are
in concealing their faces, and indeed, in many cases, more so. I have
been amused particularly by the care of one of our men, who, having
lived many years in a Turkish family, is quite a Turkish servant. On one
occasion, on returning home from riding with my boys, my donkey fairly
threw me off as he entered the court; and when this man raised me up
(for my head was on the ground), I supported myself for a moment with my
hands against the wall of the house, while I assured my poor children,
who were exceedingly frightened, that I was not hurt, forgetting that I
was _showing my hands_ not only to our own men, but to the men who
attended the donkeys! I was immediately recalled to a consciousness of
where I was, and of the impropriety of such an exposure, by the servant
I have mentioned, who most respectfully covered my hands with my
habarah, and wrapped it around me so scrupulously that the men had not a
second time the advantage of seeing a finger.

No person can imagine the strictness of the hareem without adopting its
seclusion, nor can a stranger form a just estimate of the degree of
liberty enjoyed by the women without mixing in Eastern society. One
thing is certain, that if a husband be a tyrant, his wife is his slave;
but such cases are extremely rare. I do not pretend to defend the system
of marrying blindfold, as it were; nor do I look for those happy
marriages which are most frequently found in England; but I am pleased
to find the Eastern women contented, and, without a single exception
among my acquaintances, so cheerful, that I naturally conclude they are
treated with consideration. The middle classes are at liberty to pay
visits, and to go to the bath, when they please; but their fathers and
husbands object to their shopping; therefore female brokers are in the
frequent habit of attending the hareems. The higher orders are more
closely guarded, yet as this very circumstance is a mark of distinction,
the women congratulate each other on this subject; and it is not
uncommon for a husband to give his wife a pet name, expressive of her
hidden charms, such as “the concealed jewel.”

There lives opposite to us a good old woman, a devotee, who is a sort of
Deborah to the quarter, and who passes judgment from her projecting
window on all cases which are proposed for her opinion, much to our
edification. One occurred a few days since, which will show you that the
system I have described is not confined to any particular grade in
society. A young man in the neighbourhood had been betrothed to a very
young girl, upon the recommendation of his fellow-servant, without
sending any of his own female relations to ascertain if her appearance
was agreeable, or the reverse. Becoming anxious on this subject, two
days after the betrothal, he sent a female friend, who asserted that his
bride had but one eye, that she was pitiable in appearance, and unfit to
become his wife. The person who had recommended her was a married man,
and the bridegroom accused him of culpable negligence, in not having
ascertained whether she had two eyes or not, as he might have sent his
wife to pay her a visit; while, on his own part, he had taken no such
precaution, and, being the most interested, was certainly the most to
blame. Such was the state of the case when referred to Deborah. After
hearing it patiently, she said to the young man, “My son, why did you
consent to be betrothed to a girl who was not known to your mother and
to the women of your house?” “They have been, since my betrothal, to see
her,” he answered, in a very melancholy tone of voice, “but she sat in a
dark room, and they could not tell whether she had two eyes or not; and,
in truth, O my mother, I have bought her many articles of dress, and I
have paid four hundred piastres as her dowry, the savings of many
months.” “Has she learnt any trade?” asked the old woman, “that so much
was required as her dowry?” “No,” replied the bridegroom; “but she is of
a higher family than mine, possessing houses, and lands, and property.”
“Property belongs to God,” replied she; and so saying, she retired from
the conference. We have since heard that, although the family of the
girl is _too respectable_ to permit that her betrothed husband should
see her face even in her mother’s presence, he has put the houses, and
lands, and property in the scale, and found her defect too light to be
worthy of consideration.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XVI.

April, 1843.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I do assure you that slavery in the East is not what you imagine it to
be. Here, perhaps, the slave is more in the power of the master than in
the West, and there are some monsters, at whose names humanity shudders,
who dreadfully abuse the power they legally claim; but, generally
speaking, an Eastern slave is exceedingly indulged, and many who have
been cruelly torn from their parents at an early age, find and
acknowledge fathers and mothers in those to whom they are sold. They are
generally extremely well-dressed, well-fed, and allowed to indulge in a
degree of familiarity which would astonish you. If they conduct
themselves well, they are frequently married by their masters to persons
of respectability, and the ceremony of the marriage of a slave in the
high hareems is conducted with extreme magnificence. It is not unusual
for a grandee to give away in marriage several female slaves, and
sometime concubines, on the same day, to husbands of his own selection.
In some instances, the slaves are distressed at being thus disposed of,
and would rather remain in their old home, but generally a marriage of
this kind is a subject for extraordinary rejoicing; and accustomed as
the women are to submit to the will of others in the affair of
matrimony, from the highest to the lowest in the East, the fact of their
superiors choosing for them their husbands rather recommends itself to
their approval, and excites their gratitude. On the day of their
marriage they are dressed in the most costly manner; while in the
hareems to which they belong, Cashmere shawls, sometimes cloth of gold,
are laid that they may walk over them. Singing and dancing women are
engaged for the occasion, and several girls bearing censers, and others
sprinkling perfumes, attend each bride. You have heard and read of the
Arab dancing, which is far from delicate, but the dancing in the Turkish
hareems is not in any respect objectionable. The girls throw themselves
about extravagantly, but frequently gracefully; and turn heels over head
with amusing dexterity. It is not a pleasing exhibition, but not a
disgusting one.

I cannot admire the singing, the women choose generally such exceedingly
high keys that it resembles screaming rather than singing. I sometimes
think that with the support of a tolerable accompaniment the songs might
be agreeable, but the instruments of the country are any thing but
musical, and interfere considerably with the purposes of harmony. The
voices of the singers are remarkably fine, and would be perfection under
European culture; and the performers are usually enthusiastic in their
love for their art, but still more so are their hearers. The vocalists
are for the most part respectable.

When the slave of a grandee is given away in marriage, the man chosen as
her husband is almost always somewhat of a dependant; and the lady
generally treats him as if he were somewhat of a dependant with respect
to herself.

I have been exceedingly amused lately, by reading in the “Sketches of
Persia,” the account which is given by some natives of that country
(including persons occupying high offices under government, therefore
the noble of the land), of the liberty and power of their women; and I
am disposed to think with them, that women, in many respects, have the
ascendancy among the higher orders throughout the East. We imagine in
England that the husband in these regions is really lord and master, and
he is in some cases; but you will scarcely believe that the master of a
house may be excluded for many days from his own hareem, by his wife’s
or wives’ causing a pair of slippers to be placed outside the door,
which signifies that there are visitors within. It is true that the
husband sometimes becomes tired of frequent exclusion, and forbids, as
indeed he has a right to do, the constant admission of visitors; but in
so doing, he draws down on his head much discomfort. He has his remedy,
certainly; but how sad is the system of divorce! Who can defend it?
Where a wife has become a mother, the husband is seldom willing to
divorce her; but where this is not the case, the affair is far too
easily managed.

Among the lower orders, some of the husbands are sad tyrants. The fact
is, that the men foolishly marry such little young creatures, they are
more like their children than their wives, and their inexperience
unjustly provokes their husbands. While on this subject, it occurs to me
to tell you that Deborah has a most refractory granddaughter, who is
certainly the plague of her life. This child is in the habit of reviling
the neighbours’ servants; and a few days since she used abusive language
to a man who was sitting in his master’s doorway. The doorkeeper was
exceedingly provoked, and at once retorted, “When I have a little more
money, I will marry you, and punish you every day.” This manner of
revenge is something really new to us Europeans.

Last week, a little bride was paraded through the streets in our
neighbourhood, whose age could scarcely have exceeded ten years.
Thinking the procession, and the whole affair, an exceedingly good joke,
she was impatient of control; and instead of walking under the canopy,
and submitting to march between two of her female friends, preceded by a
woman fanning her, she insisted upon walking backwards before the
former, and fanning them herself. This will give you some idea of the
mere children who are married here.

The employments of the hareem chiefly consist in embroidery, on an
oblong frame, supported by four legs; but they extend to superintending
the kitchen, and indeed the female slaves and servants generally; and
often ladies of the highest distinction cook those dishes which are
particularly preferred. The sherbets are generally made by the ladies;
and this is the case in one hareem I visit, where the ladies, in point
of rank, are the highest of Eastern _haut ton_. The violet sherbet is
prepared by them in the following manner:—The flowers are brought to
them on large silver trays, and slaves commence by picking off the outer
leaves; the ladies then put the centres of the violets into small
mortars, and pound them until they have thoroughly expressed the juice,
with which, and fine sugar, they form round cakes of conserve,
resembling, when hardened, loaf-sugar dyed green. This produces a bright
green sherbet, prettier than the blue or pink, and exceedingly delicate.
I do not know of what the blue is composed, but am told that it is a
particular preparation of violets: the pink is of roses; the yellow of
oranges, apricots, &c. It would be tedious were I to describe the
variety of sherbets; but those I have mentioned will give you an idea of
these cooling summer drinks. About four table-spoonfuls of syrup in
three quarters or a pint of water form a most agreeable beverage.

You will be surprised to hear that the daughter of the Pasha, in whose
presence the ladies who attend her never raise their eyes, superintends
the washing and polishing of the marble pavements in her palaces. She
stands on such occasions barefooted on a small square carpet; holding in
her hand a silver rod: about twenty slaves surround her; ten throw the
water, while others follow them wiping the marble, and lastly polishing
it with smooth stones.

It is very grievous that the women in general are merely instructed in
handiwork. But I must not speak slightingly of their embroidery; for it
is extremely beautiful—as superior as it is unlike to any fancy-work
practised in England. Taste of a very remarkable kind is displayed in
its execution; and similar, in many respects, to that exhibited in the
most elaborate decorations of Arabian architecture; but its singular
beauty is in some measure produced, where colours are employed, by the
plan of often taking the colours at random.

The embroidery which is done in the hareems is very superior to any
other, and frequently interspersed with precious stones, generally
diamonds, pearls, emeralds, and rubies. The rich large brocade trousers
often are richly ornamented with jewels, and are stiff with decorations;
but the Saltah (a small jacket) for chasteness and elegance is that
which I most admire of all the embroidered articles of dress. For winter
wear, it is of velvet, or fine cloth, lined with silk. Saltahs of rich
silk are worn during the autumn and spring; and, during the summer,
dresses of European muslin are almost universally adopted, and are the
only kind of apparel suited to the intense heat of an Egyptian summer.

Few of the ladies can read and write even their own language. I know,
however, some exceptions. In one family, the daughters have been
extremely well instructed by their brother, whose education was
completed in Europe. In their library are to be found the works of the
first Italian poets and the best literature of Turkey; and these they
not only read, but understood.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XVII.

Cairo, June, 1843.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

There has been an alarm of plague in Cairo, and several of the great
hareems have been in quarantine. The apprehension has been induced by
the fearful murrain which has raged during nine months, as a similar
misfortune has proved in former years the forerunner of a severe
pestilence.

I mentioned to you some time since that such a calamity was dreaded; and
it has in some measure arrived. At El-Mansoorah, the cases of plague
have not been few; and while on this subject I must tell you an
extraordinary fact, which will show you that it is even possible to
extract sweet from one of the bitterest of human draughts. Some Russians
have been at El-Mansoorah for the purpose of studying the disease. As a
means of discovering whether it be contagious or not, they have employed
persons to wear the shirts of the dead, and paid them five piastres a
day for so doing. This was a considerable salary, being equal to a
shilling per day! Now when the poor of this country consider half a
piastre per day a sufficient allowance for each person, and maintain
themselves well, in their own opinion, on this trifling sum, you can
conceive how charmed they might be with the liberal offers of these
Russian gentlemen, were it not for the risk they incurred. Risk,
however, they did not imagine. The poor flocked to the physicians from
all parts of the town, and _entreated_ to be permitted to wear the
plague-shirts. One old man urged his request, saying, “I am a poor old
man, with a family to maintain; do not refuse me; by your life, let me
wear a shirt.” The women crowded round the house where their imagined
benefactors had taken up their quarters, to bless them for having
undertaken to support them, their husbands, and their children: and when
the chief of these adventurous gentlemen found the dwelling thus
surrounded, he walked forth among them, and, taking off his hat, made a
courteous low bow to his dark-eyed visitors; whereupon they made the air
resound with the shrill zaghareet, or cries of joy.

Not one of the shirt-wearers died, although the physicians after a short
time (during which they awaited the result of their experiment) had
recourse to heating the shirts to 60° Réaumur. Still the poor peasants
lived, and throve on their good fare; but one of the physicians died.
How he took the disorder is of course a subject for controversy, but
that the shirt-wearers escaped, is a great triumph to the
non-contagionists of Cairo; and from all we can learn, the best informed
are of this party.

In the house of a merchant in Cairo, a slave has lately died of plague,
and, according to custom, a soldier was placed at the door to enforce
strict quarantine. The merchant did not relish this restraint, and
desired the comfort of going in and out at pleasure. Accordingly, he
attacked the cupidity of his temporary gaoler, and coaxingly addressed
him, saying, “Thou knowest, O my brother, that I am a merchant, and
therefore have much business to transact in the markets, where my
presence is necessary. Let me go, I beseech thee, and I will hire
another to take my place. Consider my case in thy generosity,” he added,
putting into his hand a piece of nine piastres; and the soldier found
his pity so sensibly touched, that further remonstrance was unnecessary:
the merchant passed, and the substitute was accepted—a new way of
keeping quarantine!

Long since I told you that I feared the plague might induce us, this
year, to go to Upper Egypt; but the accounts have never been such as to
show us the necessity; indeed, on the contrary, though constantly making
the most anxious inquiries, we did not hear that there had been many
cases of plague in the city, until the time of danger had passed.

It is a singular and sad fact, that during our few months’ sojourn here
this country has been visited by three of its peculiar plagues—murrain,
boils and blains (or common pestilence), and locusts. The first has
destroyed cattle to an almost incredible amount of value; the second has
not been so severe as it usually is; but the locusts are still fearfully
eating the fruits of the ground. In the gardens of Ibraheem Pasha and
others, the peasants are employed to drive them away by throwing stones,
screaming, beating drums, &c.

My assertion with regard to the small daily pay that contents these poor
people will show you how much it is in the power of a person of moderate
income to dispense comfort to a considerable number of poor grateful
fellow-creatures; and could you but see the blind, lame, old people who
solicit alms in the streets of Cairo, you would yearn to supply their
simple wants.

Those who are above distress are, with the exception of a very small
proportion, such as we should number in England among the poor; but, in
many respects, they husband their little property in a very strange
manner: though they never waste a morsel of food, they are sometimes
extravagant with trifles, simply from want of management. A short time
since we received from a shop a little parcel about a span long, round
which was wound forty-seven feet of string, so that the paper was only
here and there visible; and this was not, as you might suppose, on
account of the value of its contents, which cost but a few pence.

The climate produces a great degree of lassitude, and the people will
often use any thing within their reach (if their own property) rather
than make the smallest exertion; and yet, as I have remarked to you some
time since, no people can work harder or more willingly when called on
to do so. I do exceedingly like the Arabs, and quite delight in my rides
in remarking the grace and politeness which cast a charm on their
manners. It is very interesting to see two peasants meet; there appears
so much kindly feeling among them, many good-humoured inquiries ensue,
and they part with mutual blessings.

While riding out, a few days since, I was surprised by witnessing the
extreme display which is exhibited during the wedding festivities of a
mere peasant. When I arrived within a few doors of the house of the
bridegroom, I passed under a number of flags of red and green silk,
suspended to cords extending across the street; above these were hung
seven immense chandeliers, composed of variegated lamps; and awnings of
green and white canvass were stretched from roof to roof, and afforded
an agreeable shade. Here the bride was paraded, covered with a red
Cashmere shawl, numerously attended, and preceded by her fanner, beneath
a rose-coloured canopy.

A stranger might imagine that the feast which concludes this display is
the result of extreme hospitality, but this is not the case; I was
surprised at hearing of the system on which it is conducted. A peasant,
for instance, will often buy two sheep, two hundredweight of flour, and
butter in proportion; these things forming always the chief articles of
a feast prepared for the lower orders in Egypt. He will then add
different kinds of fruit according to the season, and abundance of
tobacco and coffee; and for the amusement of his visitors, he engages
singers, and sometimes dancing-girls. To effect this, he will borrow
money, and his next step will be to invite all his relations, and all
his friends and acquaintance. These feel obliged to accept the
invitation; and no one joins the party without a present in his hand:
therefore, at the conclusion of the feast, the bridegroom is often
rather a gainer by the festivities than otherwise. In every instance his
friends enable him to repay those from whom he has borrowed. Real
hospitality has no part in the affair whatever. Ostentation alone
actuates the bridegroom in making his preparations.

On the morning after his marriage he is generally accompanied by his
friends into the country, or to a garden, where they feast together, and
are usually entertained by dancing and songs. The expense of this _fete
champetre_, in like manner, seldom falls heavily upon the bridegroom.

The Egyptians have an especial passion for gardens and water. Even
stagnant water, if sweet, they consider a luxury: running water, however
dirty, they hold to be extremely luxurious; and when, during the
inundation, the canal of Cairo is full, all the houses on its banks are
occupied by persons who sit in their leisure hours smoking by its muddy
waters: but the height of their enjoyment consists in sitting by a
fountain—this they esteem Paradise.

How much I wish we had the comfort of occasional showers in Egypt:
however, one of my boys amuses me often by supplying this desideratum by
watering their garden from an upper projecting window; employing for
this purpose a large watering-pot with an ample rose, whence many a
refreshing shower falls before the lower windows, washing the thick dust
from a mulberry-tree, and really giving an agreeable idea of coolness.

This same mulberry-tree was an object of great admiration to a man who
described our present house to us before we saw it: he said, after
stating the accommodation which the house afforded, “And there is a
_tree_ in the court!” Having forgotten what sort of tree it was, he
blessed the Prophet (as these people do when they want to brush up their
memory), and then said, “It is a vine.”

This sultry day I can write no more; and if able to forget the heat, the
poor little sparrows would remind me that it is indeed oppressive, for
they are flying in and out of our windows with their beaks wide open.
They do not seem calculated to bear this intense heat; and they
congregate round their food and water on the terrace, looking so
pitiable during a hot wind, that we should like to transport them to
England. There, however, I am afraid they would not tenant the houses so
fearlessly of harm as they do in Egypt. Here is no wanton cruelty: a
great deal of apathy with regard to suffering is apparent in the
character of the people; but I do not think the Arabs, in general, ever
inflict an intentional injury.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XVIII.

July, 1843.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Since I remarked to you the general cheerfulness which reigns in the
hareems I had then seen, I have visited one belonging to a Turkish
grandee, which offers a sad exception, and touchingly exhibits a picture
of family love and blighted happiness. The old and beloved master of
this hareem is under a cloud; he is suffering the displeasure of the
Pasha, and is confined in the state prison. I received a most kind
welcome from the ladies of his family. I remarked with regret the
depression which weighed down the spirits of all who composed it, and I
was shocked to hear from the chief lady that she also was a prisoner,
having orders not to quit her house.

She was attired in a kind of morning-dress, of white, embroidered with
black; but wore a splendid kind of crown.[35] This was composed of
diamonds, set in gold, forming flowers, &c.,—the whole being of a convex
shape, circular, and about six inches in diameter. It was worn upon the
crown of the head, attached to the cap round which the headkerchief was
wound, and had a very rich appearance, the diamonds being so near
together, that the interstices only served, like the red gold in which
the stones were set, to heighten their brilliancy. At a little distance,
the crown seemed like one heap of diamonds.

Footnote 35:

In Arabic a “Kurs.”

When this lady referred to her heart’s trouble, tears rolled down her
cheeks; and I do not think there was one lady or slave present whose
eyes were not suffused with tears; one especially interested me, for she
was quite unlike any Eastern I have seen, having the complexion and the
auburn hair and eyes of the pretty Irish. She manifested by the
expression of her countenance more distress than her companions. I
imagined she was one of her master’s wives; for she was attended by her
nurse carrying her child (an exquisite little cherub) and several
slaves. She did not, however, sit on the divan by “Hánum,” or the chief
lady.

The mothers here exceedingly fear the evil or envious eye; and it is
quite necessary, when an infant or young child appears, to exclaim,
“Máshálláh,” and to refrain from remarking its appearance; it is also
important to invoke for it the protection and blessing of God; and
having done so by repeating the expressive phrases used on such
occasions in Eastern countries by Christians as well as Muslims, the
parents are happy that their children have been introduced to the notice
of those who put their trust in God.

The apartments of this hareem are situated in a large garden; and the
interior decorations are like those of most Turkish palaces in this
country. The walls are painted in compartments, and adorned with
ill-executed landscapes, representing villas and pleasure-grounds.

I once told you that in all the hareems I had seen, the chief lady was
the only wife: I can no longer make such a boast; but look and wonder,
as an Englishwoman, how harmony can exist where the affection of the
husband is shared by —— I do not like to say how many wives.

Hareem-gardens are never agreeable places of resort in or near a town;
for the walls are so high that there is no free circulation of air, and
the trellises for the support of vines over the walks are really roofs,
necessary certainly at noon-day under a nearly vertical sun, but
excluding the only refreshing morning and evening air.

I was surprised, during my second visit to the hareem of Habeeb Effendi,
to find the ladies (whom I had not seen for a long time on account of
the late plague) immersed in politics, and painfully anxious on account
of the difference of opinion which has arisen between the Emperor of
Russia and their cousin the Sultán. They earnestly inquired whether
England would espouse the cause of Turkey, and were in some measure
comforted by a reference to the friendship which England had so warmly
manifested for the young Sultán, and the active measures which our
government had adopted for the re-establishment of his rule in Syria. I
find the feeling very strong in favour of England in the hareems; and I
conclude that I hear general opinions echoed there. I judge not only
from the remarks I hear, but from the honourable manner in which I am
treated; and the reception, entertainment, and farewell I experience are
in every respect highly flattering.

I told you of the great politeness that was shown me on the occasion of
my first visit to the royal ladies I have just mentioned. On my second
visit to them I was almost perplexed by the honour with which they
distinguished me; for the chief lady resigned her own place, and seated
herself below me. I was obliged to comply with her desire; but did so
with much reluctance.

I saw nothing that I need describe, in the way of dress or ornament, on
this occasion, excepting the girdle of the elder daughter. This was a
broad band, of some dull material of a pale-gray colour, embroidered
with small white beads, which composed an Arabic sentence, and having a
most splendid diamond clasp, in the form of two shells, somewhat wider
than the belt. There was another visitor present, who by her title and
appearance I saw to be a lady of very high rank; and if the Turks, as
some people say, admire fat women, she must be considered a prodigious
beauty. I have seldom, if ever, seen a larger person.

One of the most beautiful women I have seen in Egypt is the wife of a
celebrated poet. I love to look on a pretty face, and hers is especially
sweet. Her manners, too, are charming; her welcome on my introduction
was particularly cordial, and her request that I would pay her a long
visit was made with evident sincerity of kindness. With the exception of
her diamond crown, her dress was simple, and her whole demeanour free
from affectation; I should imagine her character is a source of cheerful
contentment to her husband and her children. You will forgive my
national pride and prejudice when I say she reminded me of an
Englishwoman.

The house of this lady’s family is of the old Arab description, and is
situated on the margin of a lake in the outskirts of the city,
surrounded by excellent and very picturesque houses, having on the
ground-floors, courts roofed with trellises, supported by pillars, and
other fanciful wood-work, and covered with jasmines and vines. In these
the male inhabitants spend their pastime or idle hours, looking on the
water. The upper floors are furnished with meshrebeeyehs (the projecting
windows I have described to you) overlooking the lake.

From visits I turn to visitors; to tell you that a most unwelcome guest
made his appearance yesterday. Between the blind and glass of a window
in the room where we usually sit, I discovered a large snake, more than
a yard and a half long. It was outside the window; but directly it saw
me through the glass, it raised its head, and protruded its black forked
tongue. It was of a light-brown colour, and down the centre of its back
its scales were of a bright yellowish hue. It was in such a situation
that it was scarcely possible to catch it, and indeed my brother was the
only man in the house who would attempt to do so; for our servants were
so overcome by superstitious dread, that they would not approach the
intruder, and one of the men dared not even look at it: we were
therefore unwilling he should touch it, and persuaded him to send for a
snake-charmer.

There was a considerable difficulty in finding at such a moment, a man
of this profession, although Cairo abounds with them. At length a poor
old man arrived, who was nearly blind, and mistook a towel (which was
pressed between the sashes to prevent the creature entering) for the
object of my dread. He addressed it with much courtesy, saying “O
Blessed!” several times, which expressed an invitation: to this,
however, the snake turned a deaf ear; and twining itself dexterously
through the trellis blind, it curled into a window in the court, and was
entirely lost. We certainly would rather it had been found, although
assured it could only be, from our description, a harmless house-snake.

You have doubtless read many accounts of the feats of Eastern
snake-charmers, and wondered at their skill. Very lately, a friend of
ours witnessed an instance of the fascination, or rather attraction,
possessed by one of these people. He was in the house of an acquaintance
when the charmer arrived, who, after a little whistling, and other
absurd preliminaries, invoked the snake thus: “I conjure thee, by our
Lord Suleymán” (that is, Solomon, the son of David), “who ruled over
mankind and the Ján” (or Genii); “if thou be obedient, come to me; and
if thou be disobedient, do not hurt me!” After a short pause, a snake
descended from a crevice in the wall of the room, and approached the
man, who secured it. No other snake appearing, it was decided that the
house was cleared, and our friend requested the snake-charmer to
accompany him to his own house. He did so, and invoked the snakes in the
same words. The invocation was attended by the same result: a snake
descended, and in the same manner resigned itself to the
serpent-charmer.

With regard to the serpent still in our house, let us say, with the
Muslims, we are thankful it is not a scorpion. Their philosophy is a
lesson to us.

Several poor neighbours have lately been stung by scorpions: we sent
them some carbonate of ammonia to apply to the wounds, and it was the
means of producing the happiest results.

Cairo, with its many ruined houses, affords innumerable nests for
noxious reptiles; and the progress of its decay has lately been so
rapid, that at last a proclamation has been issued by the Pasha for
extensive alterations and repairs throughout the city. The houses are to
be whitewashed within and without; those who inhabit ruined houses are
to repair or sell them; and uninhabited dwellings are to be pulled down
for the purpose of forming squares and gardens; meshrebeeyehs are
forbidden, and mastabahs are to be removed. Cairo, therefore, will no
longer be an Arab city, and will no longer possess those peculiarities
which render it so picturesque and attractive. The deep shade in the
narrow streets, increased by the projecting windows—the picturesque
tradesman, sitting with one friend or more before his shop, enjoying the
space afforded by his mastabah—these will be no more; and while I cannot
but acknowledge the great necessity for repairing the city, and removing
the ruins which threaten the destruction of passengers, I should have
liked those features retained which are essentially characteristic—which
help, as it were, to group the people, and form such admirable
accessories to pictures.

I must add to this letter an account of a shameful and very ridiculous
imposition which was practised upon us a fortnight ago. A poor old man
who had for some time filled the situation of doorkeeper to our quarter,
had long been ill, and had been assisted by several gentlemen in
procuring some necessary comforts. One day my brother received a letter
from the Sheykh of the quarter, telling him that poor Mohammad the
doorkeeper had received mercy at the sixth hour of the preceding night,
and expressing a hope that he would give them the price of his shroud.
My brother, accordingly, sent one of his servants to the house of
Mohammad, where he found his body laid out, a washer of the dead
attending, and his wife apparently in great distress on account of her
loss. She returned the most grateful acknowledgments for the bounty
which was sent to aid in enabling her to bury her poor husband; and
after a while the affair passed from our recollection (we never having
seen the poor man), or if remembered, it was only to inquire who would
supply his place.

The old woman removed to another house a few days after; and a
maid-servant of ours, on passing by chance her new dwelling, was
surprised to the last degree to see the late doorkeeper sitting within
its threshold. “What,” exclaimed she, “my uncle Mohammad alive, and
well!” “Praise be to God,” he answered, “I am well, and have lived on
the bounty of your master, the Efendee; but, by your life, my daughter,
do not tell him that I am alive.” The old man, I should here tell you,
is no relation of the maid’s; this being one of the usual modes of
address among the lower orders. The maid promised his existence should
continue a secret; but she found on her return home it was impossible to
keep her word, and the quarrel which ensued between her and the servant
who conveyed the money for the shroud (both believing their own eyes)
was as violent as that between Hároon Er-Rasheed and his wife Zubeydeh,
or rather that between their two emissaries, on the subject of
Abu-l-Hasan the wag.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XIX.

September, 1843.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

In describing to you the honourable reception and elegant entertainment
I experienced in the Pasha’s hareem, I cannot be too minute.

The chief residence of his ladies is the Kasr-ed-Dubárah, a fine house
situated on the west of Cairo, on the eastern bank of the Nile, and
justly their favourite retreat. After riding through the plantations of
Ibraheem Pasha, which almost surround the palace, we arrived at the
great gates of the Kasr, through which we entered a long road within the
high walls covered with trellis closely interwoven with vines. At the
end of this we dismounted, and walked on a beautiful pavement of marble
through several paths, until we arrived at the curtain of the hareem.
This being raised, we were immediately received by a young wife of
Mohammad ’Alee, who addressed my friend Mrs. Sieder in the most
affectionate terms, and gave us both a most cordial welcome. In a moment
a crowd of ladies assembled round us, vying with each other in paying us
polite attention; and having disrobed me, they followed us (the wife of
the viceroy with us leading the way) to the grand saloon.

This is a very splendid room, paved with marble, as indeed are all the
passages, and, I imagine, all the apartments on the ground-floor; but as
several are entirely covered with matting, I cannot assert this to be
the case. The pavement in the saloon is simply white marble, the purest
and best laid I have seen in the East. The ceiling (which is divided
into four distinct oblong compartments) is painted admirably in stripes
of dark and light blue, radiating from gilded centres, from each of
which hang splendid chandeliers containing innumerable wax-lights. The
corners and cornices are richly decorated. The pavement under the two
centre compartments is not matted, but the two ends, to the right and
left on entering, are covered with fine matting, and fitted with crimson
divans.

The windows are furnished with white muslin curtains edged with coloured
fringe, some pink and some blue. All the looking-glasses (of which there
are perhaps six in the saloon) are furnished with festoons and curtains
of pink and blue gauze. There is one table with a cover of pink crape
embroidered in stripes of gold, and having upon it a large glass case of
stuffed birds.[36] On either side of the door are fanciful stands for
large square glass lanterns, composed of pillars, round which are twined
artificial flowers. The windows are European in form, and the hareem
blinds are composed of tasteful ironwork; I can scarcely say filigree,
the pattern is too bold. The entire interior decorations are in light
and summer taste, and the saloon charmingly cool.

Footnote 36:

These were taken from the United States, where they were prepared and
set up.—ED.

We crossed to an apartment on the opposite side, where the same lady
placed us on the divan and seated herself by our side. This room is
entirely covered with matting, and furnished with most luxurious divans,
extending round three sides, not raised (as is usual) on a frame about a
foot or more in height, but entirely of cotton, forming mattresses two
feet in thickness, placed on the ground. These are covered with very gay
chintz, as are also the cushions which incline against the walls; and at
the right and left upper corners are distinct square cushions, covered
with white muslin embroidered with black braid, and each having back
cushions to correspond. Above all these there is a row of small
cushions, covered with white muslin and embroidered with black,
corresponding in pattern with the corner seats. The curtains resemble
those in the saloon.

Here we received coffee, which was handed to us by the chief lady of the
household, the treasurer, a particularly lady-like person, to whom it
was handed by a lady who bore it on a silver salver, attended by several
others; one carrying the little coffee-pot in a silver vessel, suspended
by chains, and also used as a censer, containing burning charcoal. The
whole group was most picturesque, and many of the ladies were fair,
young, and beautiful.

The lady of the Pasha then proposed our returning to the saloon, that
she might conduct us to the widow of Toosoon Pasha, and to the daughter
of Mohammad ’Alee Pasha, who were sitting at the upper corner. I found
the former lady seated on a cushion on the ground, next to the
right-hand corner, and the daughter of the Viceroy took the seat of
honour, which was also a cushion placed on the ground. Numerous ladies
and slaves were in attendance; all standing in a line before the edge of
the mat.

We were soon joined by another wife of the Pasha, the mother of Mohammad
’Alee Bey (a boy about nine years of age); her designation is “The lady,
the mother of Mohammad ’Alee Bey.”

It would be a breach of etiquette, and contrary to hareem laws, were I
to describe _particularly_ the persons of the wives of the Pasha, or any
lady after distinguishing her by her name or her situation in a family;
but I may in _general_ terms express my admiration of the two ladies I
have seen, and I think they are the _only_ wives of the viceroy. Both
are young—the one is a dignified and handsome person, and the other
especially gentle and very lovely.

Soon after noon, dinner was announced; and the widow of Toosoon Pasha
led the way to a room adjoining the saloon, where a most elegant dinner
was arranged, on a very large round silver tray, placed on a stool, and
surrounded by cushions. The passages we passed were occupied by
innumerable black female slaves, and some eunuchs, dressed in all the
variety of gay Eastern costume, and forming a curious contrast and most
picturesque background to the ladies and white slaves who surrounded and
accompanied us. On either side of the door several ladies, each with an
embroidered napkin hung on her right arm, held silver ewers and basins
that we might wash our hands before advancing to the table.

No one was admitted to the table but the widow of Toosoon Pasha, the
daughter of Mohammad ’Alee Pasha, the mother of Mohammad ’Alee Bey, with
ourselves, and a lady of great importance in the East, the foster-mother
of ’Abbás Pasha.[37] The place of the younger wife was vacant.

Footnote 37:

’Abbás Pasha is the reputed successor to the Páshálik.

The tray was covered with small silver dishes filled with various
creams, jellies, &c., and most tastefully garnished with exquisite
flowers. In the centre was a forequarter of lamb, on piláv. I was truly
glad, on this occasion especially, that my home-habits had been Eastern;
had the case been otherwise, a joint of meat to be eaten without knife
or fork would have been a formidable object; for, under any
circumstances, I should not have anticipated that the widow of Toosoon
Pasha, who is also the mother of ’Abbás Pasha, and who, being the
eldest, was the most honoured at table, would have distinguished me as
she did, by passing to me, with her own fingers, almost every morsel
that I ate during dinner. The mother of Mohammad ’Alee Bey in the same
manner distinguished Mrs. Sieder.

The lamb was succeeded by stew; the stew by vegetables; the vegetables
by savoury cream, &c., composing an innumerable variety; and each was
removed, and its place filled, when perhaps only tasted. Sweet dishes,
most delicately prepared, succeeded these in rapid succession; and, with
one exception, all were in silver dishes. Ladies attended close to our
divan with fly-whisks; behind them about thirty formed a semicircle of
gaily-dressed, and, in many cases, beautiful women and girls; and those
near the door held large silver trays, on which the black slaves who
stood without placed the dishes, that the table might be constantly
replenished.

Black female slaves in the houses of the great are not permitted to
enter an apartment where are visitors; but black eunuchs, when
favourites with their masters, are constantly to be found in the very
centre of a high hareem.

In presenting the morsels to me, the widow of Toosoon Pasha constantly
said, “In the name of God;” and these words are always said by the
Muslims before eating or drinking. “Praise be to God” is the grace after
either.

There is one particularly agreeable custom observed after dinner in the
East; each person is at liberty to leave the table when satisfied. To a
European it is really a relief to do so, the dishes are so numerous,
varied, and rich.

There is much grace in the manners of the ladies of the East even in the
most trifling actions: it was pretty to observe the elegance with which
the silver ewers and basins were held for us when we left the tray. We
were succeeded at the table by the highest ladies of the household; and
I imagine others, according to their rank, dined after these, until all
had taken their meal.

We returned to the saloon, where we were met by the younger wife of the
Pasha, who had been prevented joining us at table by indisposition. She
gave me a most kind general invitation to the Kasr ed-Dubárah, and a
particular one to a festival which is to take place on the occasion of a
grand marriage some time before I quit this country. The fantasia, she
assured me, is to be the most splendid that can be prepared or arranged;
and I shall soon be permitted to tell you the name of the bride. This
she told me; but I must not mention it until the day is fixed for the
marriage. It is an Egyptian state secret!

There are many extremely beautiful women in the hareem of the Pasha, and
many handsome young girls; some not more than ten years of age. The
Turkish ladies, and the Circassians, and Georgians, are generally
extremely fair; and I must particularly mention one who was remarkably
beautiful, and more splendidly dressed than any of her companions. She
did not enter the saloon until we heard dinner announced; and her
appearance was something very attractive. Her yelek and shintiyan (or
long vest and trousers) were of rich plum-coloured silk, and the quiet
colour of her dress exhibited with brilliant effect a profusion of
costly diamond ornaments. Her head-dress was tastefully arranged, and
the richer sprays of diamonds were lavishly interspersed in a dark crape
headkerchief.

I cannot take a better opportunity of describing the Eastern dress, as
worn by the Turkish ladies, than while the hareem of the Pasha is fresh
in my recollection. The tarboosh (or red cap) is trimmed with a very
large and full tassel of dark blue silk, which is separated and spread
over the crown, and those ladies who wear rich ornaments almost always
display their most costly jewels on the back of the head, either in the
form of a kurs, which I have described to you, or a spray, very much
resembling in form a _fleur de lis_, but broader and shorter; this is
placed at the division of the tassel, which latter is often so broad
when spread, as to extend an inch beyond the head on either side in a
front view. The headkerchief is wound round the head, partly over the
forehead, and the fringed ends are arranged on one side; the front hair
is cut short, and combed towards the eyebrows, and this is extremely
unbecoming, disfiguring even a beautiful face, excepting in cases where
the hair curls naturally, and parts on the forehead. The long hair is
disposed in numerous small plaits, and looped up on either side over the
headkerchief. In many cases, the hair of the younger ladies, and white
slaves, is dishevelled, and hanging loosely on the shoulders; but this I
have only observed in the Turkish hareems: many in the Kasr ed-Dubárah
wear their long hair flowing on their shoulders, and, in some instances,
their attractions are considerably heightened by this simplicity; but no
_coiffure_, however studied or simple, is so pretty as that worn by the
Arab ladies, whose long hair hanging down the back is arranged in many
small plaits often lengthened by silk braid, and generally adorned with
hundreds of small gold ornaments, resembling oval spangles, which
harmonize better with the Eastern costume than any other fashion.

To return to the Turkish ladies: they wear the yelek considerably longer
than their height; the back part resting on the ground, and forming a
graceful train; and in walking over a mat or carpet, they hold the
skirts in front over the arm. The shirt is of silk gauze, fine muslin,
or a very beautiful thin crape, with glossy stripes, which is made of
raw silk in the hareems, and is cream-colour; the sleeves of this are
not confined at the wrist. The shintiyán are extremely full, and
generally of a different material from the yelek: the former being of
rich brocade, large patterned muslin, or chintz, or sometimes of plain
satin, or gros de Naples. The yelek, on the contrary is made of a
material with a delicate pattern, generally a small stripe, whether of
satin, Indian silk, or muslin.

Those ladies who are not perfectly idle, and who have not slaves as
train-bearers, tuck their skirts through their girdles; and thus, I
think, the dress is very gracefully worn. Ladies of distinction always
wear Cashmere shawls round the waist, generally red; and those in Kasr
ed-Dubárah had a narrow edge of gold, with gold cords and tassels at the
corners. There, the nurz were different from any I had before seen;
being of embroidered cloth, of various colours; and the daughter of the
Pasha, and others, had their long sleeves buttoned at the wrist. The
sleeves are always so made that they can be buttoned if their length
prove inconvenient; but as the great ladies of the land do not occupy
themselves in any way, but spend their time on their divans, they can
scarcely find these hanging draperies incommodious.

This description of dress leads me back to the lady whose appearance so
especially attracted my admiration. After I requested that my
riding-dress might be brought, I observed several ladies crossing the
saloon, among whom she walked, bearing it towards me, and looking like a
queen in person and in dress. She dressed me with much grace, and then
with her companions stepped back into the doorway to receive and give
the parting salutation. One circumstance I have omitted, namely, the
crimson embroidered curtains, which hang before all the doorways in the
palace; for the doors stand open, a closed door being never permitted in
the hareems. Much taste is displayed in the embroidery of these
curtains; indeed, the perfection of taste is to be found in the
decorations of the Kasr ed-Dubárah.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XX.

December, 1843.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I cannot better give you an idea of the order and discipline observed in
the hareems of the great and wealthy than by comparing each to a petty
state, with its rulers and its officers. The person occupying the place
of highest rank, next to the master, is the chief lady, who is often
called, properly or improperly, Hánum, or, correctly, Khánum. This
title, which literally signifies “My Lord,” (for Turkish ladies, whom we
in England generally look upon as persons treated with little respect,
are honoured with male titles) by right belongs first only to those
ladies of the Sultán whom we call sultanas; that is, to any of the near
female relations of the sovereign, and to any of his ladies who has
borne a prince or princess; secondly, to the wives of the grand vezeer;
but it is sometimes given by courtesy to the wives of grandees in
general, and sometimes to ladies of inferior grades. The male title
Efendim (literally “My Master”) is also given to the same ladies.

The chief lady of the hareem is the mother of the master; or, if his
mother be not living, his sister, or sisters, take precedence; and next
to them ranks his favourite wife. The question of priority among the
wives of one man is more easily arranged than you, with European notions
respecting the rights of women, could imagine possible. It is generally
settled thus: the first wife, if she become a mother, retains her rank
above any wife subsequently taken; but if not, she yields to another
more fortunate, and consequently, more beloved and honoured. The other
wives take their stations according to the preference of their husbands.

Each wife, among the higher classes, has her separate apartments, and
distinct attendants; for _even Eastern_ wives might manifest jealousy
under circumstances of constant intercourse with each other. In the
cases of the great, it is not unusual for each wife to occupy a separate
mansion; but whether in one large house, or several smaller ones, the
hareem of the grandee occupies the whole, or nearly the whole, of the
abode, which is generally enclosed by garden walls as lofty as the
houses in the immediate neighbourhood. Without the aid of scaling
ladders, or the more effectual mean of admission—intrigue, the hareem of
the Turkish grandee is well secured from illicit visitors. At the outer
door is stationed a bowáb, or doorkeeper, and the second is guarded by
eunuchs. Beyond the second is suspended the hareem curtain which I have
before described; and in the first of the inner apartments are the black
female slaves who undertake the menial offices of the hareem. After
passing the outer apartments white slaves are found carrying silver
sprinkling bottles of scented water, small silver censers suspended by
chains, coffee, pipes, sherbet, and sweetmeats; each set of coffee-cups
or sherbet-cups being placed on a small tray, and often concealed
beneath a round splendidly embroidered cover, bordered with deep and
heavy gold fringe. Among the white slaves may be observed several who
are considered superior to their companions, walking about as though
superintending their arrangements; and among the former, especially, I
have found the most lovely girls in the hareems, many of them fully
justifying my preconceived ideas of the celebrated Georgian and
Circassian women. Excepting in two cases, cheerfulness has appeared to
me to reign among these fair prisoners; entirely excluded as they are
from intercourse with any persons of the other sex, except their master
and his very near relations. If any other man attempted to pass beyond
the first entrance, his temerity would in all probability be punished
with death the moment his purpose should be discovered.

The houses of the grandees, separate from their hareem, are generally
accessible; and the liberty of ingress is sometimes not a little abused.
Last month Mohammad ’Alee was residing in his palace at Shubra, and two
Europeans resorted thither for the purpose of seeing the gardens. They
wore the Frank dress, with the exception of their having adopted the
tarboosh, a shawl round the waist, and red shoes. After perambulating
the gardens, they entered the palace, and meeting with no opposition,
they examined one apartment after another, and at length entered the
bedroom of the Pasha, where sat his highness, nearly undressed! Although
taken by surprise, his Turkish coolness did not forsake him: calling for
his dragoman, he said, “Inquire of those gentlemen where they bought
their tarbooshes.” The Europeans replied, “They were purchased in
Constantinople;” “and _there_,” rejoined the Pasha, “I suppose they
learned their manners. Tell them so.” Judging from this retort that
their presence was not agreeable, the Franks saluted the viceroy, and
withdrew.

This reminds me of another late occurrence, in which, however, was
exhibited only a want of knowledge of Turkish etiquette; no absence of
gentlemanly mind. An European gentleman who lately visited Egypt was
introduced, among others in this city, to a grandee, and was accompanied
to his residence by a friend of my brother, and Mons. L——, both of whom,
during many years, have resided in this country, and visited in the best
Eastern society. After they had partaken of the usual refreshment of
pipes and coffee, sherbet was brought, and handed first to the stranger.
He looked at it for a moment, and then at the gaily embroidered napkin
hung over the arm of the slave who presented it; and following the
impulse given, I conclude by his preconceptions of Eastern habits of
cleanliness, dipped his fingers in the sweet beverage, and wiped them on
the napkin. Mons. L——, with the perfect delicacy which characterises
French politeness, followed his example, dipped his fingers in the
sherbet, and wiped them on the napkin. I wonder whether their host
understood his motive for such strange doings. My brother’s friend sat
at a little distance from his companions, and confessed that he drank
his sherbet.

To return to the organization of the great hareems: the Hánum generally
has four principal attendants, two of whom are elderly, and act simply
as companions: the third is the treasurer, and the fourth, the
sub-treasurer. The next in rank are those who hand pipes and coffee,
sherbet and sweetmeats; and each of these has her own set of
subordinates. Lastly rank the cooks and house-slaves, who are mostly
negresses. The hareem is a little world of women, in which many have
passed their infancy and their childhood; the scene of their joys and
sorrows, their pleasures and their cares; beyond which, they have no
idea of a wider theatre of action; and from which they anticipate no
change but to the hareem of their husbands.

The ideas entertained by many in Europe of the immorality of the hareem
are, I believe, erroneous. True it is, that the chief ladies have much
power which they might abuse; but the slaves of these ladies are subject
to the strictest surveillance; and the discipline which is exercised
over the younger women in the Eastern hareem can only be compared to
that which is established in the convent. A deviation from the strictest
rules of modesty is followed by severe punishment, and often by the
death of the delinquent. The very framework of Eastern society is so
opposed to the opinions of Europeans, that I will venture to prophecy it
must be the work of several generations to root up prejudice before the
mind of the Eastern can be prepared for the reception of our ideas of
civilization. That Christianity is the only medium through which
happiness may be attained by any people is most certain; therefore as
the Easterns are very far from being Christians, except in the mere
dogmas of their faith (inasmuch as they acknowledge the Messiah, though
denying his divine nature, and his atonement for sin), so they are very
far from being really happy.

The prejudice existing among the Turkish women against the pure
doctrines of Christianity is evident from occasional, or rather, I
should say, from frequent remarks made in my presence, and to my
friends. One lady, who gave me a general and warm invitation to her
hareem, and treated me really affectionately, so far betrayed her
opinions, that she exclaimed to me, and to my friend, “What a pity that
you are Christians!” Alas! such feelings are too general for our minds
to be blinded to the fact of their existence; and so long as martyrdom
awaits the convert to our blessed faith, little or no progress will be
made by those benevolent men, whose devotion of happiness and of life to
our Saviour’s cause will secure for them the favour of their God,
however unsatisfactory may be the results of their labours.

Of those female slaves who, after the age of childhood, have been
brought from countries where they have enjoyed almost unbounded liberty,
few, perhaps, become reconciled to the confinement within the narrow and
limited precincts of the hareem. Some, by their personal charms rendered
favourites of the master, doubtless delight in the luxurious prison.
Others, who have, in addition to his favour and affection, a stronger
tie to their foreign home—that of their having borne him a child, would
receive their emancipation, if accompanied by a dismissal and a marriage
to some other person, with earnest prayers for the retraction of the
intended boon. Brought up, in general, with Muslim feelings, they become
the most affectionate of mothers. Their maternal tenderness is often
most especially manifested by their dread of the evil eye; a
superstition which obliges me, in my intercourse with Muslim mothers, to
observe the utmost caution in making any remarks upon children.

In one instance, I was unfortunate, in one respect, in a remark of this
kind; but fortunate in another respect, inasmuch as one of my own
children was the subject. I occasioned much distress to an Arab lady who
was passing the day with me (when, in the course of conversation, the
effects of climate on the constitution of the young were discussed) by
observing that my eldest boy had not suffered as the rest of our party
had done from the heat; adding thankfully, that I considered him strong.
In an instant she vociferated, “Bless the Prophet! bless the Prophet!”
and repeated this for some time, while she coloured deeply, and
exhibited the most extraordinary agitation. I confess I was at first
confounded; for although I perceived that in her enthusiasm she feared
that I had endangered my dear boy’s welfare by expressing my opinion of
his health, and that she earnestly desired I should avert my calamity by
doing as she directed at the moment, I was not at all disposed to _bless
the Prophet_; but I endeavoured to quiet her apprehensions by repeating
in Eastern phraseology “Praise be to God for the health of my family,”
and “If it please God may it continue.” Finding me calmly and gravely
endeavouring to convince her that the English do not fear expressing
their satisfaction in the welfare of those they love, she became more
tranquil, but I do not think she felt reassured. By saying “O God, bless
our Lord Mohammad!” the effect of the evil eye is believed to be
prevented; and it is not a little singular, that my friend feared the
effect of my own admiring eye, upon my own child.

It is very difficult for a stranger, like myself, to avoid making
mistakes in various other ways. For example, I heard footsteps on the
stairs leading to our terrace a few days since, and beckoned a maid, who
was passing, that she might inquire for me who was gone up stairs, when,
to my astonishment, she ran from me immediately; and though I called her
by name, and induced her to look round, she saw me again beckoning with
my hand, and continued her flight. Annoyed at what appeared to be
perverseness, I clapped my hands, and she at once returned. “Why did you
run away when I beckoned you?” said I. “Because,” replied she, “you made
a signal to me to go away.” That is, I turned towards her the back of my
hand. Had I reversed the position, or beckoned with the palm downwards,
she would have understood that I wanted her; as it was, she supposed
that she was to run away as fast as possible.

I do not remember that I mentioned to you the uncouth dresses that are
worn here at this season of the year by the ladies of the higher
classes. When I pay an unexpected visit to such persons, I generally
find most of them in quilted jackets of a description as little becoming
as can be imagined, or enveloped in any warm covering that they have at
hand. Their rooms are warmed by means of the brazier, which produces a
close and suffocating smell, such as I cannot easily endure; and,
indeed, I seldom feel much occasion for a fire. The weather is now
really delightful; but it has not been so uniformly since the
commencement of winter. As in the cases of most travellers, our
residence here has been marked by peculiarities. The extraordinary
inundation of last year, and the heavy rain of this, are events which
have had no precedents on record during the lives of the present
generation. After wishing for occasional showers during eight months in
vain, not a drop of rain falling, we had on the thirtieth of October a
tremendous storm of rain, attended with thunder and lightning, and one
almost continuous peal of thunder lasted two hours, rattling and rolling
in a most awful manner, while the rain fell in torrents; but on the
first of last month, the rain was still more copious: it poured through
the roofs and ceilings; and we and our servants during the storm were
seeking dry corners in which to deposit cushions, mattresses, and other
furniture; and were running hither and thither to remove them as the
water gained upon us. Our house is extremely well built for Cairo, and
yet, in the upper rooms, pretty smart showers fell through the ceilings
for some time after the storm abated, and only one room in the house
escaped the general flooding. Our poor neighbours suffered severely, and
fearful has been the illness which has ensued; indeed, the inhabitants
are still feeling lamentably the effects of that tremendous storm. Many
houses have fallen in consequence of it; and others have been greatly
injured. The roofs, in many instances, are seldom plastered with any
thing better than mud, but simply composed of planks and strong beams,
on which coarse matting is laid; and often over all only rubbish is
strewed to preserve the matting from being blown away: therefore the
showers which penetrate these roofs sometimes become showers of mud, to
the destruction of furniture. Rain, however, seldom falls in this part
excepting in the cooler season, when a few showers occur, and those are
generally light.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XXI.

January, 1844.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I was presented yesterday to Nezleh Hánum, by my friend Mrs. Sieder. My
reception was remarkably flattering, and perhaps unusually so, because
it took place in her bedroom. I was not aware that she was suffering
from severe indisposition when I called at the Kasr ed-Dubárah, and
would not have intruded when I was informed that this was the case; but
when she heard that I had arrived, she expressed her desire to see me as
soon as her two physicians, then in attendance, should have quitted her
chamber. Her highness is the eldest daughter of the Pasha, and therefore
holds the highest rank among the ladies of Egypt. I have before said
that she is the widow of the Deftardár Mohammad Bey.

While we were sitting in one of the rooms opening into the saloon, the
curtain before our door was suddenly closed; for the physicians were
passing. In a few minutes the curtain was withdrawn, and I was conducted
to the presence of her highness. She was supported by pillows, and
evidently suffering much from cough and oppression of the chest. She
received me with much affability, and at once requested me to sit by her
side on a raised divan, which I imagine is her bed. Low divans
surrounded the room, and the pavement was covered with a Turkey carpet.
It had in no respect the character of a bedroom, but rather that of a
luxuriously furnished Turkish winter sitting-room. It opens into a noble
saloon, over that which I formerly described to you. I found the
youngest son of the Pasha, Mohammad ’Alee Bey, sitting on a cushion at
the feet of his sister, Nezleh Hánum; and finding me to be unacquainted
with Turkish, he politely conversed with me in French. He is nine years
of age, and in a few months will be considered beyond the hareem age.
His mother, and other ladies, sat on my left hand. Thus I saw, on the
one hand, a lady about fifty years of age—the daughter of the Pasha, and
on the other, a very lovely young woman, step-mother to her highness,
the wife of her father, and the mother of her little brother.

Her highness, in features, and especially in her eyes, bears a strong
resemblance to her father, having a countenance full of intelligence,
and capable of the most varied expression; generally quick and searching
in glance; but often beaming upon me with the sweetest smile imaginable.
She directed one of the Pasha’s favourites, the mother of two of his
children, to wait upon me.[38] This lady received the coffee from
another at the entrance of the chamber, and handed it to me in an
exquisite gold zarf, richly set with rows of large and small diamonds,
arranged spirally, and ornamented between the rows with most delicate
enamel. Yesterday was the fourth day of the Great ’Eed, or Great Beirám
(the latter of the two principal annual festivals of the Muslims), and a
day appropriated to visits of ceremony to her highness by those ladies
who have access to her; the three preceding days having been spent by
them in visiting the tombs of relations and friends. While I was sitting
with her, many ladies came in to pay their respects to her; but in
consequence of her illness, they were simply dressed, with the exception
of one lady, who was most splendidly attired. She had on the back of her
head a profusion of diamonds, and wore a long orange-coloured Cashmere
jubbeh, richly embroidered, and forming, as she walked, a glittering
train of gold. She only kissed the border of her highness’s robe, and
left the room without speaking; none of her visitors did more than kiss
her hand; nor did any one of them speak a single word; neither did
Nezleh Hánum take any notice of their salutation, otherwise than by
allowing them to take her hand. This etiquette, I am informed, is not
only observed during her illness, but at all times. The visitors never
raised their eyes; and here I felt peculiarly the advantage of being an
Englishwoman, for she kept up with me a lively conversation, and really
treated me as an equal. With true Eastern politeness, her highness
assured me that our presence made her feel really well; and begged I
would consider her house my own; using every persuasion to induce us to
prolong our visit. Sherbet was handed to us in deep purple cups,
exceedingly elegant and containing a very delicious beverage. I need
only say of the sherbet and coffee covers, and the napkins, that they
were as splendid as the most exquisite embroidery could render them; but
I must notice her highness’s pipes. The mouthpieces were most tastefully
adorned with brilliants, set in rich patterns, and the silk covering of
each was elaborately decorated with embroidery. She smoked incessantly;
but was the only lady in the room who did so. By the way, I have become
quite reconciled to sitting among those who smoke, for the scent of the
tobacco used by the ladies here is extremely mild, and quite unlike what
offends my sex so much in England.

Footnote 38:

She has lost both her children.

Nezleh Hánum requested me three times to remain when I proposed leaving
her; and when at length I urged that I must depart, as it was near
sunset, she bade me farewell in the most flattering terms she could
employ. On quitting her chamber, I found the lady next in rank to her
who handed me the coffee and sherbet, waiting with another cup of
sherbet for me to take _en passant_. I mention this because it is always
intended as a distinguishing mark of honour. Several ladies accompanied
us to the door, and the treasurer followed me with the present of an
embroidered handkerchief from her highness.

Do not think me egotistical, because I describe thus minutely my
reception: I consider it important in a description of manners,
especially as the receiving and paying visits is the every-day business
of an Eastern lady; and by thus entering into detail, I hope to give an
idea of the extreme politeness which characterises those with whom I am
acquainted. I may also add, that I think it due to the hareem of the
Pasha, and others of distinction, to show the respect they manifest
towards the English. Were I a person of rank, there would be nothing
remarkable in the honourable attentions I receive; but as a private
lady, I confess they are exceedingly beyond my anticipations. On
quitting the Kasr, my attention was attracted by one of the most perfect
visions of loveliness I have had the gratification of seeing, in the
person of a white slave-girl about seventeen years of age. She stood
leaning her head against the doorway, while the line of beauty was
described to perfection in the grace of her attitude: her complexion was
delicately fair; and her hair and eyes were neither of them dark, but of
that gentle shade of brown which harmonizes so charmingly with a fair
complexion. I cannot minutely describe her features; for there is a
perfection of beauty which defies description, and such was hers. There
was an expression of melancholy on her sweet countenance, and something
so impressive in her appearance, that those who have seen her once
cannot forget her.

I fear that I shall not soon receive my summons to the wedding in the
Pasha’s hareem. There seems to be some cause for delay which I do not
know; and it is a subject respecting which I cannot, consistently with
politeness, ask any questions of those who are able to give me the
desired information; but a cousin of the Sultán told me, a few days ago,
with the utmost gravity, in allusion to this affair, that there remained
_one point_ unsettled, namely, _the choice of a bridegroom_! Every thing
else was arranged. Among the great, in this part of the world, the
wishes of a daughter who is to be given away in marriage seem to be very
seldom considered. She is nourished and brought up in the expectation of
a day when she will be delivered over by her parents to the protection
of a husband, a stranger to her both in person and in mind. You may well
wonder that such conduct can be tolerated in any land; and may sigh for
those helpless women who are disposed of in this manner; but the reform
of such a practice, under present circumstances, is impossible; for I am
perfectly confirmed in my opinion that the women themselves would shrink
with horror at the proposal to make an intended husband personally
acquainted with his wife before the marriage.

Marriages among the middle classes in this city are often conducted with
much display of a most singular kind. A bridal procession, which passed
a few days ago through the principal streets in our neighbourhood, was
headed by a fool, or buffoon, who, mounted on a horse, and attired in
the most grotesque manner, with a high pointed cap, and a long false
beard, performed a variety of ridiculous antics. Two men upon camels,
each beating a pair of kettle-drums, of enormous but unequal dimensions,
attached to the saddles, immediately followed the fool. Then came a man
bearing a cresset, formed of a long pole, having at the top several
receptacles for flaming wood, which were covered with embroidered
handkerchiefs. This cresset, the proper use of which is to serve as a
light at night, was thus used merely for display. Next came a man on
tall stilts, and two swordsmen gaily attired in cloth of gold,
brandishing drawn swords, and occasionally engaging in a mock fight. The
swordsmen were succeeded by two dancing men, and these by vocal and
instrumental musicians, singing and playing with the utmost vigour. Then
followed five boys, each about five or six years of age, attired in
female apparel of the richest description, heavy with gold, and
decorated with a profusion of women’s ornaments composed of gold and
costly jewels, which dazzled the sight. These boys were being paraded
previously to circumcision; and each of them partly covered his face
with a folded embroidered handkerchief, to guard against the evil eye.
They were followed by four women, whose office had been to summon the
female friends to the wedding. Each of these, who, like all who followed
them, were on foot, had a rich piece of cloth of gold thrown over her
left shoulder, with the edges attached together on her right side. The
pieces of cloth were presents which they had received. About thirty
young girls, all veiled and handsomely dressed, and then about the same
number of married ladies (the latter of whom, enveloped in their black
silk habarahs, looked, to the eye of a European, as if they were attired
for a funeral rather than for a wedding) followed next; and then came
the bride. She was entirely covered by a rich Cashmere shawl, as usual;
but upon that part of it which covered her head-dress and bridal crown
were attached such splendid jewelled ornaments as are seldom seen except
in the hareems of grandees. Attended by two female relations, one on
each side of her, followed by others, and preceded by a woman, who
walked backwards, constantly fanning her (notwithstanding the coldness
of the weather) with a large fan of black ostrich-feathers, she walked
under a canopy of yellow gauze, supported by four poles, at the upper
ends of which were attached embroidered handkerchiefs. Behind this
walked a band of musicians. The whole was like one of those scenes
described in the Thousand and One Nights; so gay, so brilliant, and so
strikingly Eastern. The procession advanced almost as slowly as a
tortoise.

While on the subject of processions and marriage, I may mention a late
ridiculous occurrence, arising out of a matrimonial case. Four lawyers
of our neighbourhood were last week condemned to hard labour, and
paraded through the streets on asses, with their faces towards the
tails, for illegal conduct in a suit respecting a refractory wife. In
illustration of their offence, I may remind you of a case, which I heard
referred for judgment to our neighbour Deborah; that of a young man who
agreed to take as his bride a girl reported to have but one eye, because
she was a person of property. He did take her, and expended an
extravagant sum upon the wedding festivities; but the affair did not end
as he expected. He found his wife to be about thirteen years of age, a
little delicate child; but possessing some spirit; for she positively
and obstinately refused to acknowledge him as her husband. Having been
legally married, he could only divorce her, or cause her to be
registered as refractory; and he adopted the latter course; in
consequence of which he is not obliged to support the girl, her family
doing so until she shall resign herself to him. Cases of this kind are
of frequent occurrence, and though it often happens that a woman twenty
years of age submits without a murmur to be married to a man of
threescore, a girl who has not long passed the commencement of her
“teens” very seldom will accept a husband whose chin shows him to be a
man.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XXII.

February, 1844.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

My brother’s account of the hareem, and all that he has written
respecting the manners and customs of the women of this country, I have
found to be not only minutely accurate, but of the utmost value to me in
preparing me for the life which I am now leading. His information,
however, on these subjects, being derived only from other men, is, of
course, imperfect; and he has anxiously desired that I should supply its
deficiencies, both by my own personal observation, and by learning as
much as possible of the state, and morals of the women, and of the
manner in which they are treated, from their own mouths.

When my experience with respect to the hareem was much shorter as to
time, and more limited as to its objects, than it has now been, I was
unwilling to express to you an opinion with which I was, forcibly,
impressed within a few months after my arrival in this country; that a
very large proportion of the men, and not a few of the women, are
frequently, and almost habitually, guilty of the most abominable acts of
cruelty and oppression. Though I have seen much that is amiable in the
persons with whom I am acquainted here, the opinion above expressed has
been so frequently and strongly confirmed that I cannot withstand the
conviction of its being correct.

The wives and female slaves, in the houses of the higher orders, are
generally, if I may judge from what I have seen and heard, treated by
the husband and master with much kindness; and the condition of the
slaves seems to be, in one respect, preferable to that of the wives; as
the latter are often in constant fear of being divorced; while the sale
of a slave, who has been long in a family, unless on account of
pecuniary distress, is reckoned highly disreputable; and if she have
borne a child to her master, and he acknowledge it to be his own, to
sell her is illegal. But among the middle and lower classes, both wives
and female slaves are often treated with the utmost brutality; the
former are often cruelly beaten; and the latter, not unfrequently,
beaten to death!

A neighbour of ours, a few weeks ago, flogged his wife in a most
barbarous manner, and turned her out of doors, because his supper was
not ready precisely at the time appointed. Two days after, however, he
brought her back. The same man, not long since, beat a female slave so
severely, that she lingered in great pain for about a week, and then
died. This man is a Copt, by profession a Christian! Another man beat
one of his female slaves until she threw herself from a window, and thus
killed herself on the spot. This man also is of the same profession!
Much are they mistaken who say “What need is there of missionaries here
to instruct the Copts, who are a Christian people?” One who knows them
well assures me that their moral state is far worse than that of the
Muslims; that in the _conduct_ of the latter there is much more
Christianity than is exhibited in that of the former. But the remarks
which I am making apply to both the Muslims and the nominal Christians,
but to these are more extensively applicable. How sad that the duty of
regarding truth should oblige me to make such a distinction!

The English Institution in this city, the chief object of which is to
introduce among the Copts that sound knowledge which is the first
requisite to improve their religious and moral condition, I look upon as
one of the most useful of all the establishments of the Missionary
Society. The accounts of it which have appeared in the publications of
that Society have scarcely shown its full importance; for this cannot be
duly appreciated by any one who does not know by experience the state of
the people whom it is designed to benefit, and the admirable judgment
and indefatigable and self-denying zeal with which its objects are
pursued. Connected with this Institution is a chapel, sufficiently large
and very commodious and comfortable, where I am thankful to have
opportunities to join in the service of our Church, and to hear many an
excellent sermon. But I must return from this digression, to resume the
subject which occasioned it.

Seldom do many days elapse without our hearing the most piteous screams
from women and children suffering under the whip or stick; and much
trouble do we experience in our endeavours to stop the barbarities
practised in our immediate neighbourhood. The answer usually returned to
our messages of reproach on these occasions are of the most civil kind,
assuring us, with many salutations, that, _for our sakes_, the offender
shall be forgiven. I believe that the cruelty which now seems so common
may, in some degree, be attributed to the oppression which its
exercisers themselves suffer; for every one who has studied the human
mind will agree with me, that, with few exceptions, the oppressed become
the hardest of oppressors.

The women generally seem full of kind and tender feeling, although (as I
have remarked) there are not a few instances of the reverse, and lately
we have been distressed by the conduct of two women, our near
neighbours. The one, old Deborah, whom I mentioned to you in a former
letter, has so cruelly beaten a little girl who lives with her, on three
or four occasions, that we have taken the poor child into our house each
time until she has, by her own choice, returned, when her cruel
mistress, who is said to be her grandmother, has promised us not to
repeat her violence.

The other was a more distressing case. A woman residing in a house
adjoining our own had lost seven piastres, and discovering that a little
grandson had stolen them, she sent for a man, by profession a _beater_,
to chastise him. One of my boys heard this; and finding that by mounting
a little ladder he could reach a window commanding the court of this
woman’s house, he did so, and immediately called to tell me that the
report was a true one; that the man had arrived, and was tying the arms
and legs of the poor child; but that his grandmother was standing by
him. That being the case, I assured my boy that her only object could be
to frighten the child by confining his limbs, and that I felt certain
she could not suffer him to be hurt. I formed this opinion from my love
for the grandmothers of England, whose children’s children are the crown
and glory of their age. Alas! for my mistake in supposing this Arab
possessed the feelings of woman’s nature! I hardly left the foot of the
ladder, when I was recalled by the screams of my own dear child, who was
crying and scolding in an agony of distress; for the man in the court
below was beating the limbs, the back, the chest of the poor little boy,
as in writhing and rolling on the ground each part fell under the
dreadful blows of a ponderous stick, while between each infliction the
old woman cried “again!” This brutality could not be suffered, and my
brother instantly sent one of our servants with such a threat of
vengeance if they did not immediately desist, that the child was at once
released, and quiet was restored to our house, but not tranquillity to
our minds. This same wretched woman periodically laments the loss of her
son, the father of this child, and fills the air with her discordant
wailings regularly every alternate Monday. She has always been to us a
most annoying neighbour, and is the more so now that we know the
hypocrisy of her lamentations.

The Muslim ceremonies that have reference to the dead are, however,
generally very interesting; and their wailings would always be deeply
affecting, were they always sincere, and not confined to stated periods;
for they seem to express the most intense, heart-breaking, despairing
grief. The art of wailing in the most approved style appears to be an
accomplishment that can only be acquired by long practice; and regular
professors of it are usually hired on the occasion of the death of a
person of the middle or higher classes. These accompany their
lamentations with a tambourine, and occasionally interrupt their screams
by plaintive songs. Their performances, and those of the female mourners
in general, are such as were practised in most remote ages; such as we
see pourtrayed upon the walls of the ancient Egyptian tombs, and such as
are mentioned in many parts of the Holy Scriptures; as in 2 Chron. xxxv.
25; Jerem. ix. 18; Amos v. 16; and St. Matt. ix. 23; vividly bringing to
mind “the minstrels and the people making a noise” for the death of the
daughter of Jairus. As illustrative of the Bible, these and other
Eastern customs are to me most especially interesting. “Consider ye,”
says Jeremiah, exhorting his countrymen to bewail their disobedience,
“and call for the mourning women, that they may come: and send for the
cunning women, that they may come: and let them make haste, and take up
a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids
gush out with waters:” and by the same means the feelings of a mourning
Eastern family seem to be most powerfully excited in the present day,
for, in general, the most piercing cries and screams that I hear, on
account of a death, are those which interrupt the lamentations of the
hired mourner, who is “cunning” in her art. The cemeteries in the
neighbourhood of Cairo are among the most picturesque of the various
scenes which surround us; and in these are many private burial-grounds,
each belonging to one family, who, if of sufficient wealth, have within
its walls a house of mourning. To this house the females of the family
regularly repair at the period of each of the two great annual
festivals, as well as on extraordinary ones, to bewail their dead;
having previously sent thither such furniture as is necessary for their
comfort; and there they remain, on the occasions of the two festivals
above mentioned, and immediately after a death, three or more days and
nights. Some of the houses of mourning are pretty and cheerful-looking
buildings, and enlivened by a few trees and flowers; and I believe that
the women often find no small pleasure in visiting them; their life
being in general so monotonous. Some women, who have not houses in the
burial-ground for their reception, have tents pitched for them when
requisite.

Yesterday we spent some hours at the Southern cemetery, which is
adjacent to the city, but within the confines of the desert; and were
much interested in examining the tombs of the family of Mohammad ’Alee.
The tombs in the cemetery exhibit a strange mixture of various tastes
and dimensions; some are in perfect repair, substantially and well
built; others are of more fragile kinds; though many of the smaller
monuments are composed entirely of white marble; but the most
picturesque are the most ancient; displaying exquisite taste in their
general forms, and more especially in their domes and minarets, and
their arabesque decorations; these are of yellow limestone, here and
there relieved by columns of white marble. The building containing the
tombs of the Pasha’s family is surmounted by several domes, but is low,
and in no respect deserving of much admiration. How can I tell you of
the cheerful appearance of the interior? Two noble saloons are filled
with tombs at nearly equal distances: these are cased with white marble,
and most gorgeously decorated with gilded and painted carved work. The
floors are covered with beautiful carpets, and the scene has at once a
complete air of gaiety and comfort. It has little that can lead the mind
to the reflection that this is the resting-place of the dead. Such a
variety of gay colours, and such varied forms meet the eye, that if the
consciousness intrude that it is a sepulchral building, it is soon
banished by the speculation as to which tombs may be considered more
splendid than those around them. We generally gave the preference to
that of the mother of Nezleh Hánum, and of Mohammad Bey Deftardár: the
latter, I think, bears the palm.

The tombs are generally about eight feet long, and four high; and on the
top of these is placed an oblong slab, about a foot thick: the upright
slabs at the head and feet are eight or ten feet high; and on that at
the head is a representation of the head-dress of the deceased, carved
in stone, and painted. There are four unoccupied tombs in the principal
saloon, raised, but not decorated. The embellishments altogether are
such as only suit saloons appropriated to festivity. Turkish taste is
ill calculated for decorating the abodes of the living, and does not
apply at all where quiet and solemn effect is indispensable. It is not
so with regard to Arabian taste: the Turkish is gaudy and florid: the
Arabian is chaste and elegant, as much in domestic architecture as in
the construction and decoration of sepulchres and mosques.

I felt that I could at any time spend a day in the saloons above
mentioned, admiring the beauties of the place, with much personal
comfort, and without the frequent intrusion of any melancholy
reflection.

In a charming house, adjoining the tombs, appropriated to the use of the
hareem of the keeper, we paid his ladies a visit, and were welcomed with
true Eastern hospitality. The chief lady, who was handsomely attired in
scarlet cloth, embroidered with gold, is a kind agreeable person, but
wofully mistaken in her manner of training the dispositions of children.
Two little babies belonging to the hareem were brought in to show us:
the eldest, a boy, could just walk; and as soon as he made his
appearance, the chief lady called for a stick, that puss, who was
quietly crossing the carpet, might be beaten for his amusement. Not
being aware that the beating was not to be in earnest, I interceded for
the cat; when my acquaintance replied mysteriously, “I like her very
much, I will not hurt her.” Accordingly, she raised her arm with
considerable effort, and let it fall gently. She next desired one of her
slaves to kneel, which the girl did most gracefully, and bent her head
with an air of mock submission, to receive the kurbáj; and the same
farce was performed. Though neither slave nor cat was a sufferer on the
occasion, the effect must have been equally bad on the mind of the
child. Alas! for the slaves and cats when he is big enough to make them
feel!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XXIII.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Although so many have written of the pyramids, and a new description
cannot fail to have something of the character of an often repeated
tale, I find much that I must say respecting these stupendous monuments,
the greatest, perhaps, of the Wonders of the World, which have been
objects of our curiosity and astonishment even in the age of childhood,
and the sight of which forms an era in one’s life. I will, however, as
much as possible, avoid troubling you with a repetition of what you have
read, or may read, on this subject, in the works of various travellers.

Having arranged that, during our visit, we should spend our days in a
sepulchral grotto, and our nights in a tent, we set out on this
agreeable excursion with the most pleasing anticipations. The illusion
so general in the East with regard to distance, occasioned by the
extraordinary clearness of the atmosphere, is strikingly demonstrated in
approaching the pyramids; it is very remarkable that the nearer we
approached the objects of our destination, the less grand and imposing
did they appear. From their aspect, as I first drew near to them, I
should have formed a very inadequate idea of their dimensions. As soon
as we had crossed the river they appeared within a mile of us; and after
we had proceeded more than a league from El-Geezeh, I could scarcely
believe that we were still a full league from the pyramids; for the
distance to them from El-Geezeh, by the route which we took, is more
than six miles, though it is just five miles in a direct line. When we
arrived within a mile of the pyramids, the illusion became greater: the
courses of stone were then plainly discernible, and it was easy to
calculate that they were not more in number than the courses of brick in
a house about fifty or sixty feet high. These presented a scale by which
the eye was much deceived in estimating the altitude of the structure;
being unaccustomed to the sight of stones of such enormous magnitude
employed in building. But neither of these causes would be sufficient to
produce such an illusion if there were any neighbouring object with
which the pyramids might be contrasted. I was fully convinced of this
when I arrived at the base of the great pyramid. It was then curious to
observe how distant appeared those places where I had thought myself
nearly at my journey’s end. The clearness of the air would have deceived
me then, as before; but I was looking at objects less strange to me;
such as palm-trees, villages, and the tents of Arabs.

A conspicuous object as we approached the pyramids was an old ruined
causeway, most probably a part of that which was built by Kara-Koosh for
the convenience of transporting stones from the pyramids to Cairo, when
he constructed the citadel, and third wall of that city; and this
portion may have been raised on the ruins of that which Herodotus
describes, as the more ancient causeway was raised for the purpose of
facilitating the conveyance of stones from the quarries on the eastern
side of the Nile to the site of the Great Pyramid, to line the passages
of that structure, and perhaps to case its exterior.

When we were at least a mile from our journey’s end, I remarked to my
brother, “The pyramids do not appear so grand as I expected now we are
almost close to them.” “Almost close to them!” replied he; “wait a
little, and then tell me what you think.” Accordingly we rode on; the
provoking appearance of nearness to the objects of our visit surprising
me during our whole approach. At this season it occupies three hours to
reach the pyramids from Cairo, and this month, on account of its
coolness, is particularly agreeable for such an excursion. A kind
friend, Mr. Bonomi, well known for the length of time he has spent in
this country, and his extensive acquaintance with its monuments, was
staying at the pyramids, and prepared for us a tent, and another
comfortable place of abode, an ancient sepulchral grotto in a rock,
which latter has served as the foundation of a pyramid, now for the most
part destroyed. This excavation we found ample and airy, having three
large square apertures, serving us as windows, besides the entrance. Our
tent was pitched near it, our carpets spread, and our home in the desert
had an air of comfort I had hardly anticipated. There is much that is
homeish in carrying one’s own carpet: place it where you will, in the
boat or in the desert, your eyes rest upon it while thinking, and its
familiar patterns afford a sort of welcome. The habit of placing the
seggádeh (a small carpet) on the saddle enables an Eastern lady to take
it wherever she may wander. When she is disposed to rest, her attendants
spread it; and nothing is more refreshing during a desert excursion than
to rest upon it, and take a simple meal of bread and fruit, and a
draught of delicious Nile water.

As soon as possible after our arrival, we mounted the rock on which the
pyramids are built, and there observed the effect I have described with
regard to the objects we had passed on our way. From the brightness of
their colour, apparently little changed by the thousands of years that
have passed since their erection, the pyramids do not appear venerable:
there is an appearance of freshness about them which amazed me: but with
regard to their wonderful magnitude, I found that I was no longer
disappointed when I had ascended the rocky elevation on which they rest:
when I was within a few yards of the base of the Great Pyramid, I was
enabled to the full to comprehend its vastness.

We lingered late among the objects of our visit, and were interested in
observing the enormous shadows of the two greater pyramids, stretching
across the cultivated plain to the river, as the sun was setting. The
general view from the rocky eminence on which they are built is the most
imposing that can be conceived.

Returning to our grotto, we enjoyed our evening meal with the appetite
of desert travellers, and went to rest with our minds impressed by
reflections on what we had seen, and by the novelty of our situation.

We were not the only dwellers in tombs during our stay near the
pyramids; for a row of sepulchral excavations, which Colonel Vyse and
his party occupied in 1837, are now inhabited by a Nubian, who has taken
possession of them to afford lodgings (for a small remuneration) to
travellers. Also at a short distance from our grotto, an Arab had taken
up his abode in a similar but better tomb. Living there as a hermit, he
is esteemed a saint by the people of the neighbouring villages, and is
supported entirely by casual charity. Very probably he has adopted the
life of an anchorite because he is idle, and finds it easier to depend
on others than to gain his own bread. It is common to see the Arabs on
their way to leave a deposit of bread or other food, and sometimes
money, with this recluse, more especially on Friday, when he receives
numerous visitors.

My brother, during a long visit to the pyramids in 1825, occupied one of
the tombs of which the Nubian has now taken possession. They are
excavated in the eastern front of the rocky eminence on which stands the
Great Pyramid. At that time a family consisting of a little old man
(named ’Alee), his wife (who was not half his equal in age), and a
little daughter, occupied a neighbouring grotto; guarding some
antiquities deposited there by Caviglia. Besides these, my brother had
no nearer neighbours than the inhabitants of a village about a mile
distant. The Sheykh ’Alee made himself useful in bringing water from a
well which Caviglia had dug in the sandy plain, just at the foot of the
slope before the grottoes. He was a poor half-witted creature, but
possessed strong feelings, as was exemplified by an occurrence which
happened during my brother’s stay at the pyramids. One afternoon, his
cook had sent old ’Alee’s little girl to the neighbouring village to
purchase some tobacco. The child not having returned by sunset my
brother became uneasy, and despatched a servant to search for her, and
bring her back. ’Alee had also become anxious, and had sent his wife for
the same purpose; but when the night had closed in, and he had received
no tidings of the little girl, he became almost frantic: he beat his
breast, stamped on the ground, and continued for some time incessantly
screaming, “Yá Mebrookeh! yá Mebrookeh!” (the name of the child,
signifying blessed.) After my brother had endeavoured for a little while
to pacify him, he set off towards the village. About five minutes more
elapsed, and my brother was sitting before the grotto, wondering that no
one had returned, and that not even his two Bedawee guards had come as
usual, when he was alarmed by loud and piteous cries in the desert plain
before him. Leaving a servant in the grotto—for a strange youth was
there—my brother ran towards the spot whence the voice seemed to issue.
As it was dark, he could see nothing; but after he had proceeded some
distance, he heard the following words repeated very rapidly over and
over again. “I testify that there is no deity but God, and I testify
that Mohammad is God’s apostle;”—and soon he found poor old ’Alee lying
on the ground. He told my brother that an ’efreet (or demon) had seized
him by the throat, and thrown sand into his mouth, and that he was
almost suffocated. (It seems that the Arabs are subject to a spasm in
the throat, which they attribute to the above cause.) The two Bedawees,
in the meantime, whom the servant and ’Alee’s wife had engaged to assist
them in their search, had found the child, and were, like my brother,
drawn to that spot by the old man’s cries. They helped him to walk back,
but the poor creature had been so terrified and distressed, that for
several days after he was quite idiotic.

On the second day after my brother had taken up his quarters at the
pyramids, a young Bedawee—the stranger I have mentioned—claimed from him
the rights of hospitality. He remained with him until he quitted his
sepulchral abode, and, being a very clever and witty youth, amused him
exceedingly, every evening while he was smoking his pipe, by reciting
stories and verses from the popular romance of ’Aboo-Zeyd: but at the
same time he gave much offence to my brother’s Egyptian servants, by his
contempt of the felláheen (or peasants). He had deserted from the
Pasha’s army of regular troops, as he frankly confessed; and was afraid
to enter the villages, lest he should be recognised, and sent to the
camp. When my brother was leaving the pyramids, he asked this young man
what he would now do for provision, as he dared not enter the villages.
He replied, “Who brought _you_ here? God is bountiful.”

On the occasion of our visit to the pyramids, my brother inquired of our
guards if they knew or remembered poor old ’Alee, to which one of them
replied that he was his son, and that he had been dead for some years.
He then inquired whether Mebrookeh was living—“Yes,” answered the man,
“she is well and married, and the mother of two children.” He went on to
assure my brother he remembered his former visits well, and there was
something satisfactory in the prospect of being guarded by one man, at
least, who, for old acquaintance sake, might be on the alert. This man,
though especially remarkable for his honesty, is not distinguished for
his social virtues—he has married ten wives, and says he would marry
twenty if he could afford to do so; asserting that although he has
divorced several, he has only done so because they deserved it, for that
they failed in their duty to him, notwithstanding his kindness to them.
According to his own account, he was always good to them; he never
reviled, but _only_ beat them! The facility of divorce is a prodigious
evil; often productive of want and misery. It is sadly common to find
wives rejected for some trifling offence; when a kind admonition would
have shown them all that had been amiss in their conduct, and would have
rendered them valuable helpmates. I grieve to say that wives here are
generally divorced merely from caprice.

Our guards, three in number, were remarkably picturesque objects; more
like Bedawees than like peasants; belonging to a tribe which, not many
years ago, exchanged the life of desert-wanderers for that of
agriculturists; and having retained the dress of their fathers, which
consists chiefly of a loose shirt, and a kind of blanket, which
envelopes the body, and gives to the wearer an appearance quite
primeval. It was at first amusing but at last very tiresome, to hear
these men calling to each other during the whole night, as though they
feared their companions might be asleep; their constant repetition of,
“Open your eyes! open your eyes well!” effectually kept us watching
also. One guard lay outside the tent, close to my head, and amused
himself by singing constantly. I should have been very happy if
something more substantial than canvass had separated me from such a
lively neighbour. We rose in the morning fatigued, but the invigorating
desert-air soon revived us; and we set out on our adventures with
becoming energy.

The bed of rock on which the Great Pyramid is situated is about one
hundred and fifty feet above the sandy plain which intervenes between it
and the cultivated land. It is a soft testaceous limestone, abounding
particularly with those little petrifactions described by Strabo as
found in great quantities around the pyramids, and supposed to be
_petrified lentils_, the leavings of the workmen who built the pyramids!
These abound in many parts of the chain of mountains by which the valley
of the Nile is confined on this side. The stone, when newly cut, is of a
whitish colour; but, by exposure to the air, it becomes darker, and
assumes a yellowish tint. The level parts and slopes of the rock are
covered with sand and pebbles and fragments of stone, among which are
found pieces of granite and porphyry, rock crystal, agates, and
abundance of petrified shells, &c.

The Great Pyramid is that which is described by Herodotus as the work of
a Pharaoh named Cheops, whom Diodorus Siculus calls Chemmis. Diodorus
adds, that some attributed this pyramid to a king named Armæus.
According to Manetho (a better authority in that case), it was founded
by Suphis, the second king of the Fourth Dynasty, which was the second
dynasty of the Memphite kings.

Colonel Vyse’s most interesting discoveries of the hieroglyphic names of
the royal founders of the first and third pyramids afford remarkable
confirmations of the truth of the statements of Manetho and others
respecting these monuments. The name of the founder of the Great Pyramid
in hieroglyphics, according to the pronunciation of different dialects
is Shofo, or Khofo; the former nearly agreeing with the Suphis of
Manetho, the latter with the Cheops of Herodotus.

The height of the Great Pyramid is not much greater than that of the
second; the former having lost several ranges at the top; while the
upper part of the latter is nearly entire; but the base of the former is
considerably larger, though the difference is not very remarkable to the
eye, and in the solidity and regularity of its construction, it is
vastly superior.

The pleasure which is felt by the modern traveller in surveying the
pyramids is not a little increased by the consideration of their
venerable antiquity, and the reflection that many philosophers and
heroes of ancient times have in like manner stood before them, wrapt in
admiration and amazement. The stupendous magnitude of the Great Pyramid
is most clearly apparent when the observer places himself near one of
its angles. The view of the pyramid from this point, though the best
that can be obtained, cannot convey an adequate idea of its size; for a
gap in the angle, which appears to be near the summit, is not much more
than half-way up. Thus greatly is the eye deceived by this extraordinary
object.

Each side of the base of the Great Pyramid is seven hundred and
thirty-three feet square, and the perpendicular height is four hundred
and fifty-six feet, according to my brother’s measurement. It consists
of two hundred and three courses, or layers of stone; therefore the
average height of a single course is about two feet and a quarter: but
the courses vary in height from about _four_ feet to _one_ foot. The
lower courses are higher than the rest; and the lowest is hewn out of
the solid rock; as is also part of the second. Opposite the angle from
which my brother’s view was taken, about twelve feet distant, is a
square place, twelve feet in width, and between two and three inches in
depth; apparently marking the place of the original corner-stone of the
pyramid. About the middle of each side of the pyramid, the exterior
stones have been much broken by the masses which have been rolled down
from above; but at the angles they are more entire, and _there_,
consequently, the ascent is not difficult. The upper and lower surfaces
of the stones are smoothly cut; but the sides have been left very rough,
and in many cases, not square: the interstices being filled up with a
coarse cement, of a pinkish colour. This cement is, in some parts,
almost as hard as the stone itself; and sometimes very difficult to
detach. Among the dust and small fragments of stone which have crumbled
away from the sides and yet rest upon the upper surfaces of the steps,
or exterior stones, we find a great number of the small petrifactions in
the form of lentils, which I have before mentioned.

Dr. Lipsius lately gave, at a meeting of the Egyptian Society in this
city, a very interesting account of the mode in which the Great Pyramid,
and similar monuments, appear to have been constructed, as suggested by
Mr. Wild, an English architect, accompanying the Doctor. The following
engraving will explain the description of the system which appears to
have been adopted:—

[Illustration:

f
e c e
d b a b d

]

A structure of moderate size, _a_ with its sides slightly inclining
inwards, containing, or covering the sepulchral chamber, and with a flat
top, was first raised. Then a structure, _bb_, the same height as the
former, with its exterior sides similarly inclined, and its top flat,
was raised around. Next, another structure, _c_, was raised on the
first. Another circumstructure, _dd_, was raised around that marked
_bb_; then another, _ee_, around the structure _c_, then another
structure, _f_, upon the latter. After this manner, the building
probably continued to increase (like the royal tombs at Thebes) as long
as the founder reigned. The structure was finished, as Herodotus says,
from the top downwards. A small pyramid being constructed on the top,
occupying the whole of the highest platform, and the angles formed by
the other platforms, and the sides of the structures against which they
were built being filled up, the simple pyramidal form was made out. The
several platforms composed convenient ample stages on which to raise the
massive stones employed in the construction. This mode of construction
was certainly practised in some of the pyramids, and most probably in
all, excepting those of very small dimensions. That the Great Pyramid
and others originally presented plane sides has been proved by Colonel
Vyse.

On each side of the Great Pyramid is an accumulation of fragments of
stone and mortar which have fallen down from the summit and sides of the
building, and have composed a very compact mass, which rises, in the
centre, to about fifty feet above the base. The sand of the desert has
contributed but little to augment these slopes of rubbish, which are
nearly of the same height on each side of the pyramid. That on the
northern side forms a convenient acclivity to the entrance.

The ascent to the summit of the Great Pyramid is not dangerous, though
rather tedious, as the description of the exterior must have shown. At,
or near, any of the angles, there is, on almost every course, or range
of stones, a secure and wide footing; but some of the steps are
breast-high; and these, of course, are awkward masses to climb. I had
fully determined to attempt the ascent; but the wind was so high during
the period of our visit, that I dared not do so. On some other occasion
I hope to be more fortunate.

Many stones have been thrown down from the top of the Great Pyramid,
which consequently wants about twenty-five feet (or perhaps something
more) of its original height; for, without doubt, it terminated in a
point. It appears, therefore, that its original height was, at the
least, four hundred and eighty feet. It is worthy of remark that
Diodorus Siculus describes the top of the pyramid as being six cubits
(or nine feet) square; Pliny states it to have been, in his time,
twenty-five feet; or, according to some copies of his work, fifteen
feet; the latter of which readings must be considered the more correct.
Several courses of stone have been thrown down in later ages; so that
now, on arriving at the summit, there is a platform thirty-three feet
square, upon which, near the eastern edge, are a few stones yet
remaining of two upper courses. Upon these the names of many travellers
are cut. The platform is quite flat; the stones being well joined and
cemented. The ascent to the summit generally occupies between fifteen
and twenty minutes.

The view from the summit of the Great Pyramid is described by my brother
as being of a most extraordinary nature. On the eastern side the eye
ranges over an extensive verdant plain, watered by numerous canals, and
interspersed with villages erected upon mounds of rubbish, and
surrounded by palm-trees. In the distance is the Nile; beyond which are
seen the lofty minarets and citadel of Cairo, backed by the low yellow
range of Mount Mukattam. Turning towards the opposite side, the
traveller beholds a scene exactly the reverse: instead of palm-groves
and corn-fields, he sees only the undulating sandy hills of the great
Syrian Desert. The view of the second pyramid, from this commanding
situation, is extremely grand. A small portion of the third pyramid is
also seen; with one of the small pyramids on its southern side. The
space which lies on the west of the Great Pyramid, and north of the
second, is covered with oblong tombs, having the form of truncated
pyramids; which from that height appear like patches of gravel. The head
of the Great Sphinx, and the distant pyramids of Aboo-Seer, Sakkárah,
and Dahshoor, are seen towards the south-southeast.

About half an hour or more after sunset, the gloom contributed much to
the grandeur and solemnity of the scene. On one occasion my brother
ascended the Great Pyramid about two hours before daybreak, and waited
upon the summit until sunrise. He found it extremely cold, and the wind,
sweeping up the northern side of the pyramid, sounded like a distant
cataract. The second pyramid was at first faintly discernible, appearing
of vastly more than even real magnitude. Soon after, its eastern side
was lighted up by the rising moon; and the effect was truly sublime.

On the second day after he had taken up his quarters at the pyramids,
during the visit to which I have referred, he went out without his
pistols; and in the evening one of his guards reproved him for having
done so. “How easy,” he observed, “would it be for one of our people
(the Bedawees) to rob you, and, if you resisted, to murder you, and
throw you down one of the mummy-pits, and who would ever know what was
become of you?” On the following day he ascended the Great Pyramid
alone, but not unarmed. While on the summit, he perceived a solitary
Arab, making towards the pyramid, from the west. He began to ascend the
southwestern angle; and when he arrived about half-way up, little
thinking that my brother’s telescope was directed towards him, he
stopped, and took out a pistol from a case which was slung by his side,
looked at it, and then continued the ascent. As it was evident that the
fellow had no good intentions, my brother called to him, and desired him
to descend; but he either did not hear him, or would not obey. My
brother then discharged a pistol, to show him that he was not without
the means of defence. Upon this, he immediately began to return, and,
having reached the base, walked slowly away into the desert.

Under the present government, travellers seldom are subjected to any
danger from the natives in this or any other part of Egypt; but from the
crowding and importunity of the Arab guides at the pyramids they
generally suffer much annoyance. They are always attended for a
considerable distance, sometimes even from El-Geezeh, by a party of
Arabs who are in the habit of extorting money from the traveller on the
top of the Great Pyramid before they will suffer him to descend. A few
days ago, a gentleman of distinction bargained with some of these men to
attend him to the summit of the Great Pyramid; and when they had done
so, they claimed the promised payment, saying that they had fulfilled
their engagement. Being afraid to descend without their aid, he was
compelled to submit to their exactions, and paid them five dollars.

[Illustration: SECTION OF PASSAGES]

It is pitiable to observe the haste which most of the travellers to and
from India are obliged to make, if able to visit the pyramids at all:
some arrived during our stay, ran up the Great Pyramid, descended as
rapidly, spent a few minutes within it, and disappeared in little more
than an hour.[39]

Footnote 39:

Most visitors to Niagara do the same thing to their great loss. From a
single hurried visit, the true impression of the grandeur of the falls
is never obtained; the first impression is almost uniformly that of
disappointment.—ED.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XXIV.

February, 1844.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

The entrance of the Great Pyramid[40] is over the sixteenth course, or
layer of stone, about fifty feet above the base; a slope of rubbish, as
I said before, leading up to it.[41] It is nearly in the centre, or
equidistant from either angle of the northern side of the pyramid: the
eye would hardly discover that it is not _exactly_ so; though really
twenty feet, or rather more, to the eastward of the centre. The opening
of the pyramid seems to have been attended with considerable difficulty;
a vast number of stones having been torn down above and before the
aperture. An inclined plain before the entrance forms an angle of
twenty-six degrees and a half with the horizon, being in the same place
with the floor of the first passage. The size of the stones above the
entrance, and the manner in which they are disposed, are worthy of
remark. There is no granite at the entrance of the pyramid; all the
blocks are of limestone. Before the traveller enters the pyramid, he
should divest himself of some of his clothes (for the heat of the
interior is oppressive) and resume them immediately on coming out, to
prevent any check of perspiration. The passage by which we enter the
Great Pyramid is only four feet high, and three feet six inches (almost
exactly two ancient Egyptian cubits) in width, and we are consequently
obliged to descend in a crouching position. It is lined above and below
and on each side with blocks of limestone,[42] of a more compact kind
than that of which the pyramid is mainly constructed. This superior kind
of stone appears to have been brought from the quarries on the eastern
side of the Nile, directly opposite the site of Memphis; for stone of
the same quality is not found nearer; and Herodotus, and several other
ancient writers, inform us that the quarries of the Arabian
mountains[43] supplied materials for the construction of the pyramid.
Indeed, they assert that the pyramid was entirely built of stones from
these quarries; but this, evidently, was not the case: the stone of
which the structure is mainly composed was quarried from the rock in its
neighbourhood. The nicety with which the stones are united in the sides
of the first passage is very remarkable. In some parts the joint cannot
be discerned without a close and minute examination. In the flooring of
this passage, and of all the sloping passages in this pyramid, notches
have been roughly cut, like steps, to prevent the feet from slipping;
but I found them very far from producing the desired effect, being now
polished by the naked feet of the guides. These notches have been the
work of modern explorers. At the distance of nearly seventy feet
(measuring from the outer surface of the huge block above the entrance)
we find that one of the stones which form the roofing of the passage has
been hewn away precisely at the point where the second passage branches
off in an ascending direction (see the letter _c_ in the section). Here
we discover the square end of a granite block, which closes the entrance
of the second passage, being exactly fitted to fill up the aperture. The
persons who opened the pyramid, being unable to remove this obstacle,
have made a forced communication with the ascending passage. At the
distance of eighty feet (from the entrance of the pyramid) is the forced
aperture, on the right side of the passage (see _d_ in the section). It
has been made by hollowing out the roofing, and cutting away the upper
part of the side of the lower passage.

Footnote 40:

See _b_ in the accompanying section.

Footnote 41:

See _a_ in the section.

Footnote 42:

Some travellers, their memories deceiving them, have described this
passage as lined with _granite_; others have asserted that it is of
_white marble_.

Footnote 43:

The mountains on the east of the Nile are so called by ancient Greek
and Roman writers, and those on the west the “Lybian mountains.”

Here the explorer must light his candle (if he have not done so before),
and having ascended through this opening, finds himself in a large
place, which appears like a natural cavern in a rock. We now see the
upper end of the granite block before mentioned, or of a second block.
Above it is another, of which a part has been broken off. Above this the
passage (_e_ _f_) is seen clear of other incumbrances, running upwards,
but in the same southern course as the first, or descending passage. It
is of the same dimensions as the first, and has the same inclination;
but its sides and roofing are very rough, and consequently it has the
appearance of having been cut through solid rock, which is not really
the case. It is a hundred and nine feet long (measuring from the
southernmost of the granite blocks above mentioned), and the flooring
projects a foot and a half in the same direction. The ascent of this
passage is rather fatiguing. On emerging from it, we find ourselves at
the foot of the Grand Passage (see _f_ _m_ in the section).

This great passage, ascending to the principal chamber, is, in
comparison with those which lead to it, wide and lofty. Its length being
great, and its sides and every part of it blackened, as if by smoke, the
further extremity was invisible to us as we stood at the lower end; and
its whole appearance singularly imposing. On our right, as we stood
here, we observed the entrance, or mouth, of what has been called “the
well” (_g_). There we also, at the lower end of the Grand Passage,
remarked some Arabic inscriptions, rudely cut with a chisel. These, I
believe, were first noticed by Sir Gardiner Wilkinson. My brother read
them to me thus—“Ezbek and Beybars have been here.” “Beybars and Kalaoon
El-Elfee have been here.” “Sultán Mohammad ... Sa’eed.” These three
persons were Memlook sultans of Egypt, who reigned in the latter half of
the thirteenth century, at which period, it appears, the Great Pyramid
was open; if these inscriptions be genuine, which my brother is a little
inclined to doubt.

Under the grand, ascending passage, runs another, which is horizontal,
low, and narrow. The entrance of the latter (_h_) is fifteen feet three
inches from the projection of a foot and a half before mentioned. This
passage is three feet eleven inches high, and three feet five inches
wide. I found almost as much difficulty in proceeding here as I had in
ascending and descending the sloping passages; the dust and the heat
together being here especially oppressive. It continues of the same
dimensions to the distance of ninety-three feet. Here we find a descent
of one foot eight inches in the floor; so that the remainder of the
passage is nearly high enough for a person of middling stature to walk
along it without bending down the head. At the distance of a hundred and
ten feet nine inches (from its entrance) it terminates (see _i_ in the
section) at the eastern corner of the north side of a chamber, which is
nineteen feet long, and seventeen feet broad (see _k_). This has been
called by some travellers the “Queen’s Chamber;” from the supposition
that the queen of the founder of the pyramid was buried in it. The roof
is formed of long bricks of stone, leaning against each other. The
height of the chamber, to the commencement of the roof, is thirteen feet
and a half; and to the summit, about seven feet more. The floor, sides,
and roof are constructed of the same kind of limestone as the passages.
In the eastern end (not in the middle, but rather to the right) is a
high and narrow recess, five feet wide at the bottom, but becoming
narrower towards the top, like the sides of the Grand Passage. It is
three feet five inches deep. Within it, four feet from the floor, is the
entrance of a forced passage, four feet wide. At the commencement it is
square, and smoothly cut; but further on it becomes irregular; and at
the distance of fifty feet it terminates at a hollow space, wider and
more irregular than the rest. In this chamber and forced passage there
is little to detain us. We return to the Grand Passage.

Above the entrance of the horizontal passage which leads to the chamber
above described, is a perpendicular (marked _h_ in the section). This
perpendicular, together with the height of the said passage, is seven
feet three inches. The flooring then ascends in the same direction as
the other ascending passage; at an angle of twenty-six degrees and a
half. At the distance of three feet five inches is another perpendicular
or step of only eight inches, above which the floor has the same
inclination again; and notches have been cut in it to facilitate the
ascent, which is not easily performed unless without shoes. There is a
bench of stone on each side all along the passage, and in the tops of
these benches are oblong holes at short intervals: their use is unknown.
The width of the passage (including the benches, which are one foot
eight inches and a half square), is six feet ten inches; about four
ancient Egyptian cubits. The sides of the passage are composed of nine
courses of stone from the benches upwards. The stone is of the same kind
as that of which the lower passages are constructed. Some travellers
have supposed it to be _white marble_, but no marble is found in any
part of the pyramid. The two lower courses are even with each other, but
each course above projects three inches beyond that below it; and so
does each corresponding course at the upper and lower ends of the
passage. The length of the whole passage is a hundred and fifty-eight
feet. At the distance of five feet and one inch before we reached the
upper end, we ascend another perpendicular of two feet eleven inches.
The floor beyond is horizontal, forming a small platform (see _l_ in the
section). From this commences a horizontal passage three feet seven
inches and a half in height, and three feet five inches and a half in
width (see _m_). Within it, on the right, is the entrance of a _forced_
passage, made in search for other chambers than those already known. At
the distance of four feet five inches (from the entrance of the _true_
passage), commences an open space above (see _n_), the upper part of
which is nearly twice as wide as the passage, and nine feet eight inches
in length: but the passage below is contracted again to its former
height by a kind of portcullis, formed of two blocks of granite one
above another, each one foot three inches thick; these have been let
down from the space above between two small projections on each side
which form a pair of grooves. Beyond this, the passage (which is here of
_granite_), is open as before, to the space above, and there are grooves
for the reception of three other portcullises of granite, by which the
architect thought that he should for ever prevent access to the
mysterious chamber which contains the sarcophagus; but these have been
broken and their fragments carried away. The passage beyond (see _o_),
is of its former dimensions, and continues so to the distance of eight
feet five inches, its whole length, from the top of the Grand Passage,
being twenty-two feet and a half. It terminates at the eastern extremity
of the north side of the Grand Chamber (see _p_ in the section).

The dimensions of the Great Chamber are especially worthy of remark: the
length is thirty-four feet four inches and a half; just twenty ancient
Egyptian cubits; the width exactly half that measure. The height is
about two feet more than the width. It is entirely constructed of red
granite. Near the western end is the sarcophagus; which is also of red
granite. It is seven feet and a half in length, three and a half in
breadth, and the sides are half a foot thick. No hieroglyphics nor
sculpture of any kind adorn it either within or without; its sides are
perfectly plain and polished, and its form is simply that of an oblong
chest, in every way rectangular. Its lid has been carried away, as well
as its original contents; and we find in it nothing but dust and small
fragments of stone. It has been much injured at one of its corners by a
number of travellers, who have broken off pieces to carry away as
memorials. When struck with any thing hard, or even with the hand, it
sounds like a bell. It rests upon a block of granite considerably larger
than any of the other blocks of which the floor is composed.

Why was such an enormous mass placed there? The alabaster sarcophagus in
the great tomb opened by Belzoni in the valley of Beebán-el-Mulook, at
Thebes, closed the entrance of a deep descent of steps, which has never
been explored to its termination: the soft and crumbling nature of the
rock through which it is cut rendering any attempt to clear it out
extremely dangerous. The enormous mass of granite under the sarcophagus
in the Great Pyramid may have been placed there for a similar purpose,
or to cover the mouth of a vault or pit; so that, in case any violater
of the sacred edifice should succeed (notwithstanding the portcullises
of granite), in effecting an entrance into the Great Chamber, he might,
on discovering the sarcophagus, believe the object of his search to be
accomplished. An excavation has been made (I believe by Col. Howard
Vyse), beneath this huge stone, but it seems hardly to have been carried
sufficiently far. The sides of the chamber are formed of six regular
courses of granite blocks, which are united with the greatest exactness,
and their surfaces are perfectly even and polished, without
hieroglyphics or any other inscriptions or ornaments. In the northern
side near the corner of the entrance is a small aperture, and opposite
to it on the southern side is another. Col. Vyse discovered the
termination of each of these, in the exterior of the pyramid: they seem
to have been designed for the purpose of ventilation. The roof of the
chamber consists of nine long granite blocks which extend from side to
side. The half only of the stone at each end is seen, the other half
resting on the wall.

Returning from this chamber we stop at the platform at the upper end of
the Grand Passage (see _l_ in the section).[44] Here we observe at the
top of the eastern wall (that is on the left of a person facing the end
of the passage), at the height of twenty-four feet, a square aperture
which is the entrance of another passage (_q_). Small notches have been
cut at the corner all the way up, for the reception of the ends of short
pieces of wood, which were thus placed one above another so as to form a
kind of ladder. These have been taken away, and the ascent without them
is difficult and dangerous. When my brother was here alone some years
ago, two Arabs contrived to climb up by means of the little notches, and
took with them a strong rope, the end of which he tied round him, and so
they drew him up to the top. As soon as he was freed from the rope they
demanded of him a present, threatening that if he refused they would
descend and leave him there. Though my brother laughed at their threats,
they would not for some minutes confess that they were joking. The
passage in which he found himself is only two feet four inches square.
It turns immediately to the right, and to the distance of a few feet it
continues square and of the same dimensions as before, but much clogged
with dirt; afterwards it becomes irregular both in direction and in the
construction of its sides, and it was difficult for my brother to drag
himself along it, while numbers of bats escaped from within and flew
against his face. At the distance of twenty-four feet the passage
terminates at the northeast corner of a large but low place (_r_). This
chamber (if such it may be called) was discovered by Mr. Davison, who
was British Consul at Algiers, and who visited Egypt with Mr. Wortley
Montague in 1763 and 4, and it is called by the discoverer’s name. It is
directly above the Grand Chamber, and is of the same width as that
chamber, but four feet longer. The long granite blocks which compose the
roof of the lower chamber form the floor of this, and the first and last
of these blocks are here seen entire. The upper surface of each of them
is very rough, and they are not all of the same thickness. The roof also
of this place is formed of long blocks of granite eight in number. The
height is scarcely more than three feet. In the southeast corner is a
small forced passage which ascends a few feet. The second roof above the
Grand Chamber was made to secure the lower roof, which otherwise might
have been broken down by the superincumbent masses. Col. Vyse discovered
over Davison’s chamber three others similar to it one above another, and
above the uppermost of these another with a pointed roof; and in making
this discovery he made one of much greater importance, that of two
hieroglyphic names, rudely inscribed as quarry-marks; one of them
certainly the name of the founder, as before mentioned; the other,
according to some, a variation of the same name; according to others,
the name of a predecessor or successor of the founder.

Footnote 44:

There is a remarkable echo in this passage, on account of which it is
a custom of travellers to fire a pistol or gun here.

I scarcely need tell you that I did not descend what is called the well.
It was explored by Mr. Davison, and afterwards in 1801 by Col. Coutelle;
but its termination and use remained involved in uncertainty and
mystery, until it was cleared out in 1817 by Caviglia. On the right of
the lower end of the Grand Passage two feet below the floor, are three
low steps occupying a space of four feet and a half in length. Beyond
them is the mouth of the first shaft which is two feet two inches
square. Here are little notches roughly cut in the sides in which to
place the fingers and toes, and as the space is narrow, a person _may_
descend without the aid of a rope, as my brother did, but he found it
difficult and dangerous to do so. The ascent is attended with less
danger, and seems precisely like climbing a chimney. At the depth of a
few feet it becomes very rugged and irregular, and continues so for
nearly fifty feet. After descending rather more than sixty feet, an
aperture is seen on the southern side, which is the entrance of a kind
of grotto (_s_) between five and six feet high, and about three times as
long, turning to the right. It is hollowed out in a vein of coarse but
compact gravel, and the well in consequence of this vein, is lined with
masonry for the space of a few feet above and below the grotto. Where
the masonry ceases (_t_) the well takes a sloping direction and
continues so to the bottom; but towards the bottom (see _u_ in the
section) the slope becomes more steep. All the sloping part is cut
through the solid rock below the foundation of the pyramid, and is of a
square form. At the bottom of the well (_v_) is a horizontal passage six
feet long, communicating with the first passage, two hundred and twelve
feet below the aperture by which one ascends to the second passage.

The first passage of the pyramid from the aperture last mentioned,
continues in the same direction, and is of the same dimensions, but is
cut through the solid rock, and is not lined with masonry. The aperture
which communicates with the bottom of the well is two feet ten inches
broad. It is on the right of a person descending the first passage. This
passage continues in the same direction to the distance of twenty-three
feet further (see _w_ in the section), beyond which it is horizontal,
and so low and encumbered with rubbish, that the explorer is obliged to
drag himself in a prostrate position. At the distance of sixteen feet
nine inches there is a recess (_x_) on the right side three feet four
inches deep, and six feet five inches wide. Four feet and a half beyond
this, the passage terminates at the eastern extremity of the north side
of a large excavated chamber (_y_).

The Great Excavated Chamber is nearly under the centre of the pyramid.
It is twenty-seven feet broad, and sixty-six feet long. The roof is
flat, but the floor is very uneven. At the entrance the chamber is
fifteen feet high; towards the western end the rock rises
perpendicularly half-way towards the ceiling, and there are masses of
strange forms, but not altogether irregular, rising still higher, and
nearly touching the top of the chamber. In the floor at the lower end is
a wide hollow space nearly filled with rats’ dung. Immediately opposite
the entrance is a level passage (_z_), low and narrow, running towards
the south; it terminates abruptly at the distance of fifty-five feet.
The floor of the chamber is just a hundred feet below the level of the
external base of the pyramid. It appeared evident to my brother that
this great chamber was an unfinished excavation. Mr. Salt thought
otherwise: “He had flattered himself that it would turn out to be that
described by Herodotus as containing the tomb of Cheops, which was
insulated by a canal from the Nile; but the want of an inlet, and its
elevation of thirty feet above the level of the Nile at its highest
point, put an end to this delusive idea.” This great chamber was
discovered by Caviglia, of whose operations in the Great Pyramid, and in
the neighbouring tombs, an interesting account is given in the 19th vol.
of the “Quarterly Review.” After having explored the well, and
endeavoured, in vain, to draw up the rubbish with which the lower end
was filled, he turned his attention to the clearing of the first passage
of the pyramid, which, until that time, had been supposed to terminate
just below the aperture which communicates with the second passage. In
the prosecution of this work (which was one of much difficulty, as the
passage was choked with large fragments of stone), he discovered the
communication with the bottom of the well, and, continuing his
operations, soon after entered the Great Excavated Chamber.

Such is the description of all that is now known of the interior of the
Great Pyramid. It has been calculated that there might be within this
stupendous fabric, three thousand seven hundred chambers, each equal in
size to the Sarcophagus Chamber, allowing the contents of an equal
number of such chambers to be solid, by way of separation.[45] Yet this
enormous pile seems to have been raised merely as a sepulchral monument,
to contain, perhaps, one single mummy, not a particle of which now
remains in the place in which it was deposited with so much
precaution:[46] unless there be yet undiscovered any other receptacle
for the royal corpse than the sarcophagus in the Granite Chamber.
Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus assert that the building of the Great
Pyramid occupied about twenty years, and according to the former, a
hundred thousand men—according to the latter three hundred and sixty
thousand men—were employed in its construction.

Footnote 45:

Quarterly Review—vol. 19, page 401.

Footnote 46:

Most ancient authors who have described this monument assert, in
opposition to Diodorus, that its founder was buried in it.

The Great Pyramid is surrounded, on three sides, by almost innumerable
tombs. On the east are three small pyramids; and on the same side, and
on the west and south, are many oblong tombs, flat-topped, and with
sides inclining inwards. Some persons who have been unreasonable enough
to doubt whether the pyramids are sepulchral monuments, must, I think,
be convinced of their error by the discoveries of Colonel Vyse: long
before which, my brother found bones and mummy-rags in the principal
pyramid of Sakkárah.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XXV.

February, 1844.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I fear that I might weary you if I gave you a description of the other
pyramids as full as that of the first; and, as they are far less
interesting, I would pass them over entirely; but a few remarks
respecting them, some of which I owe to my brother, I do not refrain
from offering, as I think they will interest you. It is no trifle, I
assure you, for a woman to explore the interior of the Great Pyramid. My
mind continued so impressed with the difficulties of this undertaking,
for some time, that I could not forget them, even in my dreams. The
examination of the others is somewhat less arduous.

The name of the founder of the Second Pyramid, commonly called that of
Chephrenes, still remains involved in some degree of doubt. But in some
of the tombs in the neighbourhood, we find a king’s name, in
hieroglyphics, which, according to different dialects, may be read
Khephré or Shefré; and it seems highly probable that the king to whom
this name belongs was the builder of the pyramid in question.

This pyramid is but little inferior in magnitude to the first. From some
points of view, it even appears more lofty, as it stands on ground about
thirty feet higher than that on which the first rests, and its summit is
almost entire. A large portion of its smooth casing remains on the upper
part, forming a cap which extends from the top to about a quarter of the
distance thence to the base. Notwithstanding this, Arabs often ascend to
its summit; and many European travellers have done the same. In its
general construction, this pyramid is inferior to the first; and its
interior is less remarkable. By a sloping passage, similar to the first
in the Great Pyramid, but cased with granite, and then by a long
horizontal passage hewn through the rock, broken by two perpendicular
descents, and sloping ascents, we reach the Great Chamber. This is
similar in form to the “Queen’s Chamber” in the Great Pyramid, and
contains a plain sarcophagus of granite, among blocks of the same
material lately torn up from the floor, in which the sarcophagus was
embedded.

Several Arabic inscriptions are scrawled with charcoal upon various
parts of this chamber. Most of these were written before the opening of
the pyramid by Belzoni, and are nearly illegible; generally recording
the visits of Arabs, and in the modern Arabic characters. My brother
could not find any date among them. From his manuscript notes, I copy
the following observations respecting one of these inscriptions which
has excited especial attention: consisting of two lines, written in the
same characters as the rest, and with the same material, but not so
imperfectly legible. “Belzoni particularly remarked these two lines, and
took a Copt scribe to copy them; but this man did not faithfully execute
his task: he concluded that the second line was a continuation of the
first, which is far from being certain, and gave a transcript in which
he presumed to restore what was defective in the original. His
transcript has been thus translated by Mr. Salame: ‘The Master Mohammed
Ahmed, lapicide, has opened them; and the Master Othman attended this
(opening); and the King Alij Mohammed at first (from the beginning) to
the closing up.’ This inscription has exceedingly puzzled the learned
Orientalists of Europe; and great pains have been taken to find out who
was the king mentioned in it, and at what period he reigned. It
unfortunately happens that the first line is almost wholly defaced; a
traveller having scribbled his name over it: the two first words,
however, have not been written over; and I must pronounce it very
uncertain whether they are as in the transcript above mentioned, and
consequently, whether the inscription contain any mention of the
‘opening’ of the pyramid. But the second line, which is the more
important, has not been defaced like the first; and the greater part of
it is so plain that it can hardly be read otherwise than thus:
‘El-Khaleel ’Alee, the son of Mohammad ..., has been here;’ or, in the
order of the Arabic words, ‘Has been here El-Khaleel ’Alee, the son of
Mohammad....’ It is quite evident that the word which Belzoni’s copyist
makes ‘el-melik,’ or ‘the King,’ is a proper name. Another inaccuracy in
the copy published by Belzoni is the omission of the word signifying
‘son,’ after ‘’Alee.’ Thus we find that this inscription (instead of
recording the visit of a king, or perhaps, even alluding to the opening
of the pyramid) is probably nothing more than the Arabic scrawls which
are seen in great numbers on many of the monuments of Egypt. It, and
others similar to it, are of some interest, however, as showing that the
pyramid was open at a comparatively late period.”

The third pyramid, commonly attributed to Mycerinus, or Mencheres, was
opened by Colonel Vyse, who found in it the mummy-case of its founder,
bearing the hieroglyphic name of Menkaré. This pyramid, though small in
comparison with the first and second, its base being about three hundred
and thirty feet, and its perpendicular height about two hundred, is a
very noble monument. Its construction is excellent; and it was
distinguished by being partly, or wholly, cased with granite. Several
courses of the granite casing-stones remain at the lower part. The
chamber in which the sarcophagus was found, and the entrance-passage,
are formed of granite; and the roof of the former is composed of blocks
leaning together, and cut so as to form an arched ceiling. The
sarcophagus was lost at sea, on its way to England. The third pyramid
was the first that I entered; and highly was I gratified by the view of
its interior, after I had summoned courage to crawl through its
entrance, which was almost closed by huge masses of stone.

Adjacent to the pyramids which I have mentioned are several others; but
these are comparatively insignificant; and I shall not attempt to
describe them: nor shall I undertake to give you a detailed account of
any of the numerous tombs to which I have before alluded. Most of these
lie in a large space to the west of the Great Pyramid, and north of the
second; and are, with few exceptions, disposed in regular lines, from
north to south, and from east to west; their walls, like the sides of
the pyramids, facing the four cardinal points. Some of them are nearly
buried in the drifted sand; and many are almost entirely demolished.
Some contain no chambers above ground; but have a pit, entered from the
roof, descending to a sepulchral chamber. Others contain narrow chambers
within their walls, adorned with painted sculptures in low relief,
representing agricultural and other scenes. Most of these are of the
same age as the Great Pyramid. In one of them, which is of that age, are
represented persons engaged in various arts, carpenters, makers of
papyrus-boats (probably like the ark in which Moses was exposed),
agricultural employments, the wine-press, eating, dancing, &c. Among the
subjects in this tomb, we find two men sitting at a tray which is
supported by a low pedestal, and loaded with food; one is holding a fowl
in his left hand; and, with his right, tearing off one of the wings: the
other is holding a joint, and about to bite off a piece. Each of these
persons is almost naked; had they more clothing, they would exhibit a
true representation of two modern Egyptians at their dinner or supper.
There are also many sepulchral grottoes, excavated in the rock, in the
neighbourhood of the pyramids. In one we find representations of the
flocks and herds of the principal occupant, with the number of each
kind: he had 835 oxen, 220 cows with their young, 2234 he-goats, 760
asses, and 974 rams. This interesting tomb is of the remote age of
Khephré, or Shefré, before mentioned. It is in the front of the rocky
elevation on which the Great Pyramid stands, a little to the right of
Colonel Vyse’s quarters, facing the valley of the Nile.

Had I attempted a regular description of the pyramids and the monuments
around them, I should have begun with the Great Sphinx, which faces the
traveller approaching the Great Pyramid by the easiest route from the
southeast, and lies but a short distance from that route. Its huge
recumbent body, and its enormous outstretched fore-legs, are almost
entirely buried in sand and rubbish. The head alone is twenty feet high.
The face (which lays claim to be regarded as a portrait of Thothmos IV.,
whom many believe to have reigned during the bondage of the Israelites
in Egypt, or shortly before or after, and who may have been the very
Pharaoh in whose reign the Exodus took place) is much mutilated; the
nose being broken off. This loss gives to the expression of the face
much of the negro character: but the features of the countenance of the
ancient Egyptian, as well as the comparative lightness of complexion,
widely distinguished him from the negro; and the nose of the former
greatly differed from that of the latter. At first the countenance of
the Sphinx, disfigured as it is, appeared to me absolutely ugly; but
when I drew near, I observed in it a peculiar sweetness of expression,
and I did not wonder at its having excited a high degree of admiration
in many travellers. The whole of this extraordinary colossus was
doubtless painted: the face still retains much of its paint, which is
red ochre, the colour always employed by the ancient Egyptians to
represent the complexion of their countrymen; yellow or pink being used
by them for that of the Egyptian women. All that is visible of the
Sphinx is hewn out of a mass of limestone rock, which perhaps naturally
presented something of the form which art has given to it.

I did not think to have written to you so much on the pyramids and the
monuments around them; but having entered upon the subject, I have found
it difficult to stop. So wonderful in themselves are the principal
pyramids, and so impressive by reason of their remote antiquity, that
all other existing works of man must, I think, in comparison with them,
sink into insignificance. I could hardly believe that monuments of such
stupendous magnitude, and such admirable construction, were erected
several centuries before the period of the Exodus, were it not for the
fact that the Tower of Babel, probably an equally wonderful edifice, was
raised in an age yet earlier.

During this excursion I was gratified by observing among innumerable
Arabs belonging to the villages not a single instance of blindness, a
calamity so common in Cairo. These peasants seem to enjoy a very small
share of this world’s goods; but the exhilarating air usually blowing
from the neighbouring desert has an extraordinary effect on their health
and spirits.

On the morning before our departure several well-dressed young Bedawees
arrived near our tent, the sons of the sheykh of a distant village.
After dismounting and loitering about for nearly an hour, they confessed
to one of our party that they had ridden several miles in the hope of
seeing the faces of some European ladies, who, they had been informed,
were passing a few days at the pyramids, and they were seriously
disappointed on finding veiled ladies only. A few weeks since these same
young men enjoyed the treat of seeing an American lady who is travelling
in Egypt, and who is a beautiful person. A friend of ours asked their
opinion of the lady on that occasion, when they replied that her
appearance was “excellent.” “But,” exclaimed one of the young men, “the
sword! the sword! if we dared to use it, we would kill that man,”
alluding to the lady’s companion, “whether her husband, or her brother,
and take her ourselves.” ’Tis well for pretty women travelling in the
East that these lawless Arabs are kept under a degree of subjection by
the present government.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XXVI.

March, 1844.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

You may have heard of a famous magician in this famous city of Cairo,
who, though not supposed to be possessed of art equal to that of
Pharaoh’s wise men and sorcerers, has perplexed and confounded several
of the most intelligent travellers, by feats very nearly resembling that
performed by the Witch of Endor at the request of Saul. Having inscribed
a magic square upon the palm of the right hand of any young boy or girl,
and poured into the centre of it a little pool of ink, he pretends by
means of the repetition of certain invocations to two spirits, and by
burning some small strips of paper inscribed with similar invocations,
in a chafing-dish containing live coals sprinkled with frankincense and
coriander-seed, or other perfume, to make the boy see in this pool of
ink the image of any person, living or dead, called for by his employer.
My brother has fully described his performances as witnessed by himself
and several other travellers more than ten years ago; the performances
of which he was himself witness were not altogether inexplicable, for
some of the persons called for were not unknown to fame, and the correct
description of others might have been the result of mere guessing; but
the facts which he has related on the testimony of others have induced
several persons whom I could name to believe them the effects of
supernatural agency. The supposed mystery, however, my brother thinks he
can now explain, at least so far as to satisfy any reasonable person
respecting most, if not all, of the most surprising of the feats to
which I have alluded. (See Appendix.)

A few weeks ago, he was requested by two English travellers, Lord N. and
Major G., to witness the performances of this magician, and to act as
interpreter on the occasion, in order that they might feel themselves
secure from any collusion. But I must give you his own account of the
exposure which this request occasioned.

“I was unwilling,” he said, “to accede to the proposal made to me, and
expressed a reluctance to do so; but I am glad that I at last consented.
The magician tried with two boys, and with both of them he utterly
failed in every case. His excuse was, that the boys were liars, and
described the objects which they saw otherwise than as they appeared to
them; that the feats were performed not by his own means alone, and that
he was not secure from being imposed upon by others. Now if we admit
that there is _still_ such a thing as real magic, and we know from the
Bible such was once the case, we must allow that by occasional failures
this man does not show that he is not a true magician, as long as he
employs an agent, upon whose veracity and particular qualifications he
asserts the success of his performances to depend. Partly, perhaps, from
feelings of mortification, and partly with the view of upholding his
reputation by urging what he had done on former occasions, he remarked
to me that he was successful in the days of ’Osmán Efendee, and that
since the death of that person he had been unfortunate.

“This was indeed, for him, a most unfortunate remark. The inference to
be drawn from it, that the person whom he named was the main spring of
his machinery, was inevitable, more especially when I considered, that
in all the instances of his surprising success of which I had heard,
this person served as the interpreter; and when I further reflected,
that since his death, which took place nearly nine years ago, hundreds
of persons had witnessed the performances of this magician, and I had
been assured that his successes had been such as could not be said to be
even the results of lucky guesses or mere accident, for he had almost
always failed. I was at first unwilling to believe that a person whom I
always regarded as an honest man, and whom I knew to have been possessed
of many excellent qualities, had consented to be a means of imposition;
and I remembered that, in the performances which I had myself witnessed,
I ascertained that he gave no direction either by word or sign; that he
was generally unacquainted in these instances with the personal
appearance of the individual called for; that I took care that he should
have no previous communication with the boys; and that I had seen the
experiment fail when he _could_ have given directions to them or to the
magician. But the inferences to be derived from these circumstances, in
favour of the magician, are surely outweighed by the facts which I have
mentioned, resting not only upon the assertions of others, but also upon
his own confession. ’Osmán perhaps considered it a light matter to
practise such an artifice as that which is thus imputed to him, and
perhaps was unwilling to practise it upon me, or feared my detecting him
if he attempted to do so. Besides, if many of the performances of the
magician had not been far more surprising than those which I witnessed,
he would have gained but little notoriety. I satisfied myself that the
boy employed in a case which I have mentioned in my work on the ‘Modern
Egyptians,’ was not prompted for the part he played, by my having chosen
him from a number of others passing by in the street; and I also felt
satisfied that the images which he and another boy professed to have
seen, were by some means produced in the ink by the magician, in
consequence of their refusal to accept presents which I offered them,
with the view of inducing them to confess that they did not really see
what they proposed to have seen. As to the former point, I was doubtless
right; but as to the latter, I now feel that I was deceived. I believe
that the boys saw nothing, and that, having deceived me, they feared to
confess the truth. Another difficulty, however, lies in the way of the
explanation which I have proposed; two travellers (one of them M. Leon
Delaborde, the other an Englishman), both instructed by the magician of
whom I am speaking, are stated to have succeeded in performing similar
feats. But is it not almost certain, after what I have said, that those
feats were accomplished by means of the suggestions of the interpreter
or interpreters? Perhaps the same person who interpreted in other cases
which excited so much surprise did so in those also.

“I have stated all that I can for and against the magician, and leave it
for others to decide upon the case. For myself, I am satisfied that his
successes are to be attributed chiefly to the interpreter, but partly
also to leading questions, and partly to mere guessing. Let us consider
these three means as employed in one of the most remarkable cases. A
number of individuals being called for, most of them (perhaps all), are
correctly described. With the personal appearance of many of these
individuals the interpreter is acquainted, and he is therefore able to
suggest to the boy what he should say. When he has had no previous
knowledge of the peculiarities of the appearance of a person called for,
it has often happened that he has acquired such knowledge during the
performance. One of the company, for instance, saying that he will call
for such a person, adding that he is remarkable in such and such
respects. When the first means cannot be employed, much may be done by
the second, that is, by leading questions. When a person having but one
leg, or one leg shorter than another, is called for, he is perhaps
vaguely described, and the boy is in consequence asked if there is any
thing peculiar in his legs: this question suggests to him that there
_is_ some peculiarity in his legs, and he probably ventures to say that
he can only see _one_ leg, then if this be unsatisfactory, he may add
the person has turned round, and that he sees him to be _lame_. The
third means (guessing) without the others is not likely to be of much
service; but with them it may help to supply trifling deficiencies, and
when the guessing is wrong respecting a _trifling_ matter, his error is
considered trifling; but when he is right, his description is often
considered striking for its _minute_ accuracy.

“The last performances of this magician in my presence were ridiculous
for their complete want of success. A woman was described as a man, a
tall person as short or middle-sized, the very old as of a middle age,
and so on. Two boys were employed; one was very stupid and appeared much
frightened, the other seemed accustomed to the performance.”

A friend has just described to me the latest performance of the
magician, and you can hardly conceive any thing more unfortunate and
absurd. He had been sent for to gratify the curiosity of a party of
English travellers at the French Hotel, a frequent scene of his
impositions, where he often finds a boy ready to be employed by him,
familiar with his tricks, and an interpreter disposed to aid his
deceptions. A donkey-boy was sent for; and after the usual preparations,
Lord Auckland was named as the first person whose image was to be
presented to the boy, in the mirror of ink. He was merely described as
short and thin. O’Connell was next represented as short and thin,
dressed in white, young, without a beard wearing a white hat with a
handkerchief tied round it (like a Frank endeavouring to preserve his
head from the heat of an Egyptian summer sun), and having only one hand.
Several other persons were called for, relations of individuals present,
with various success; and much laughter was occasioned, which made the
magician accuse the boy of not telling what he saw. Another boy was sent
for; and he seemed to have been employed previously: sometimes he got on
before the magician. After many ridiculous failures, the Prince of Wales
was described with white hair, yellow beard, black coat, and white
trousers. (Beards, I should tell you are worn here by many European
travellers.) The party agreed not to laugh; and the names of persons
present were given as those of individuals whose images were required to
appear. Sometimes the image described was right in being tall, but wrong
in being fat: right as to coat, but wrong as to trousers: just as you
would expect in cases of guessing. Five dollars were put upon a chair
before the magician; but he had the presence of mind to wait for more,
which, I believe, he received. I assure you he reaps a fine harvest from
the pockets of travellers.

If you wish to know what the performances of this man were in earlier
times, in the most remarkable instances, read an account of them in No.
117 of the “Quarterly Review;” and especially a note there, following
the remarks of the reviewer. You will see, from what is there stated,
that the subject was deemed worthy of serious consideration, and that a
discovery of the means employed by the magician, which were thought to
be of a very ingenious kind, was regarded as an interesting desideratum.
That these means were not merely leading questions, and the like, as a
late writer has suggested, is evident when we reflect that the magician
is not known to have been even generally successful on any single
occasion since the death of the interpreter ’Osmán, and it is not likely
that intelligent travellers (of whom many might be named) would have
been at a loss for the explanation, if such means would have sufficed.

One further remark I must make on this subject. If we give to some
persons that credit which they are believed to deserve, we must admit
that excited imagination, in the child employed as an agent in the
deception, has sometimes produced images in the mirror of ink; but these
images have been always such as the child _expected_ to see. The
successful performances have been supposed, by some, to have been
effected by means of mesmerism; and some have attributed them to
diabolical agency. As the grandest discoveries in science are often the
most simple, so what appears to us at first most unaccountable is often
capable of the most simple solution.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XXVII.

April, 1844.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

When I promised you a description of the Bath, I did not anticipate that
I should enter upon the subject with pleasure. Whatever others may think
of it, I confess that the operation of bathing in the Eastern manner is
to me extremely agreeable; and I have found it singularly beneficial in
removing that lassitude which is occasioned by the climate. It is true
that it is followed by a sense of fatigue, but a delightful repose soon
ensues; and the consequences, upon the whole, I find almost as enjoyable
as the process itself.

The buildings containing the baths are all nearly on the same plan, and
are much alike in appearance; the fronts being decorated fancifully, in
red and white, and the interiors consisting of several apartments paved
with marble. I will describe to you, in a few words, one of the best in
Cairo, which I visited with three ladies of my acquaintance,—English,
Abyssinian, and Syrian.

After we had passed through two passages, we found ourselves in the
first large apartment, or chamber of repose, in which the bathers
undress previously to their entering the heated chambers, and in which
they dress after taking the bath, and rest on a raised marble platform,
or wide bench, on which are spread mats and carpets. In the centre is a
fountain of cold water, over which is a dome. For a detailed account of
the public baths of Cairo I refer you to my brother’s description; and
shall only relate to you the scenes through which I passed on the
occasion to which I have referred.

In the first apartment, each of us enveloped herself in a very long and
broad piece of drapery,—which, but for its size, I might call a
scarf,—and proceeded through a small chamber, which was moderately
heated, to the principal inner apartment, where the heat was intense.
The plan of this apartment is that of a cross, having four recesses;
each of which, as well as the central portion, is covered with a dome.
The pavements are of white and black marble, and small pieces of fine
red tile, very fancifully and prettily disposed. In the middle is a jet
of hot water, rising from the centre of a high seat of marble, upon
which many persons might sit together. The pavement of each of the
recesses is a few inches higher than that of the central portion of the
apartment; and in one of them is a trough, into which hot water was
constantly pouring from a pipe in the dome above. The whole apartment
was full of steam.

On entering this chamber a scene presented itself which beggars
description. My companions had prepared me for seeing many persons
undressed; but imagine my astonishment on finding at least thirty women
of all ages, and many young girls and children, perfectly unclothed. You
will scarcely think it possible that no one but ourselves had a vestige
of clothing. Persons of all colours, from the black and glossy shade of
the negro to the fairest possible hue of complexion, were formed in
groups, conversing as though full dressed, with perfect _nonchalance_,
while others were strolling about, or sitting round the fountain. I
cannot describe the bath as altogether a beautiful scene; in truth, in
some respects it is disgusting; and I regret that I can never reach a
private room in any bath without passing through the large public
apartment.

I will turn to the more agreeable subject—the operation of the bath,
which is quite luxurious. The sensation experienced on first entering
the hottest chamber is almost overpowering—the heat is extremely
oppressive; and at first I believed that I could not long support such a
temperature; but after the first minute, I was relieved by a gentle, and
afterwards by a profuse perspiration, and no longer felt in any degree
oppressed. It is always necessary for each lady to send her own
bathing-linen, a pair of high clogs, a large copper vessel for hot
water, two copper bowls, and towels.

The first operation is a gentle kneading the flesh, or shampooing. Next
the attendant cracks the joints of those who desire to submit to this
process. I confess I did not suffer such an infliction. Some of the
native women after this are rubbed with a rasp, or rather with two rasps
of different kinds, a coarse one for the feet, and a fine one for the
body; but neither of these rasps do I approve. A small coarse woollen
bag, into which the operator’s hand is inserted, is in my opinion
preferable. Next the head and face are covered with a thick lather,
which is produced by rubbing soap on a handful of fibres of the
palm-tree, which are called leef, and which form a very agreeable and
delicate-looking rubber. It is truly ridiculous to see another under
this operation. When her head and face have been well lathered, and the
soap has been thoroughly washed off by abundance of hot water, a novice
would suppose that at least _they_ were sufficiently purified; but this
is not the case: two or three of such latherings, and as many washings,
are necessary before the attendant thinks her duty to the head and face
accomplished. Then follows the more agreeable part of the affair,—the
general lathering and rubbing, which is performed by the attendant so
gently, and in so pleasant a manner, that it is quite a luxury; and I am
persuaded that the Eastern manner of bathing is highly salubrious, from
its powerful effect upon the skin.

When the operation was completed, I was enveloped in a dry piece of
drapery, similar to the bathing-dress, and conducted to the
reposing-room, where I was rubbed and dressed, and left to take rest and
refreshment, and to reflect upon the strange scene which I had
witnessed. I wish I could say that there are no drawbacks to the
enjoyment of the luxury I have described; but the eyes and ears of an
Englishwoman must be closed in the public bath in Egypt before she can
fairly enjoy the satisfaction it affords; for besides the very foreign
scenes which cannot fail to shock her feelings of propriety, the cries
of the children are deafening and incessant. The perfection of Eastern
bathing is therefore rather to be enjoyed in a private bath, with the
attendance of a practised velláneh.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XXVIII.

April, 1844.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I remember writing, in my simplicity, that I believed Mohammad ’Alee
Pasha to have but two wives; but having been introduced to another of
his wives, the mother of Haleem Bey, in his hareem in the citadel, I
conjecture that there is yet another, making the full Muslim allowance,
namely, four wives.

The ride to the citadel is not an agreeable one; and at this time the
ascent is attended with some danger, as the Pasha has directed the
repair of the road leading from the Báb el Weezer; in consequence of
which heaps of stones and rubbish almost obstruct the way. I had chosen
this route because it is unpaved, and my experience had made me dread
the slippery paved entrance by the Great Gate, mounted, as I was, on a
“high ass.” Although expecting a tumble in riding over the rubbish, I
could not help remarking the enormous size of some stones which had been
thrown down from an old wall, so much resembling stones which lie
scattered around the pyramids, that I do not doubt they are some of
those which were transported by Karakoosh when he was employed in
building the citadel.

The Kasr appropriated to the hareem of the Pasha in the citadel is a
noble mansion, the finest domestic structure I have seen in Egypt. The
interior is on the usual Turkish plan. On the ground-floor is a spacious
saloon, paved with marble of a bluish white, nearly surrounded by suites
of apartments which open into it; and on the first-floor are rooms on
the same plan. Accompanied by my friend Mrs. Sieder, I passed from the
principal entrance to a large square court, and having crossed this, we
found ourselves in the lower of the two saloons. We then ascended by an
ample marble staircase to the saloon on the first-floor. Here a most
magnificent prospect burst upon our view: three windows which are
opposite the head of the stairs, command the whole of Cairo, and the
plain beyond; and every object of interest to the north and west of
Cairo within the reach of our sight lay in picturesque variety before
our admiring gaze; the green carpet of the Delta, and the plain of
Goshen, terminating the view towards the north. I would willingly have
lingered here, but our attendants were impatient to conduct us into the
presence of the chief lady.

We found her sitting in a room which was carpeted and surrounded by a
divan, attended by three ladies. She received us with much respect and
cordiality, and as I had been informed that she had the reputation of
being an exceedingly haughty person, I was agreeably surprised by
finding in her conversation and deportment the utmost affability and
politeness. She conversed with me freely of my children, told me that
her son was under twenty years of age, and introduced to my notice two
nice little girls, children of the hareem, one of whom presented me with
a _bouquet_. The subject of the number, health, and age of each lady’s
children is always the darling theme of conversation in the hareems, and
truly to a mother ever agreeable. One lady asked me with perfect
gravity, whether one of my boys, being thirteen years of age, was
married. I conclude she meant betrothed, for the same word is used to
express marriage and betrothal. I explained to her that, in England, a
boy must become a man before he thinks of marriage, or even betrothal;
and that if he entered into the marriage state at twenty years of age,
and a girl at fifteen, they would be considered too young. The lady whom
I addressed, and her companion, listened with much attention, and one of
them earnestly maintained that the English were quite right in objecting
to such young marriages as take place constantly in the East.

With respect to the beauties in this hareem, I can only say that one was
very remarkable; and among the ornaments that I saw there, there was
nothing deserving of particular notice excepting the pearl necklaces of
the chief lady and two others: these were composed of the largest pearls
that I have ever seen, but nearly tight round the throat.

On quitting this hareem, I was conducted by the ladies with the ceremony
I have not described, which was that of holding the habarah on each
side, while I crossed the saloons, and until I reached the hareem
curtain. These attendant ladies, in imitation of their superiors, vied
with each other in paying us every polite attention, and each and all in
the hareem of the citadel were pictures of cheerfulness.

I was informed that no Franks had ever before been admitted into this
hareem, and I believe it to be the case; though a portion of the same
building, entered from the other side, and in which the Pasha had some
rooms fitted up in the European manner, has been frequently seen by
travellers. Some European ladies, a short time since, offered twenty
dollars to procure admission, and were refused. I did not offer a bribe;
for I never have condescended to obtain access to a hareem through the
servants, and have either been introduced by my kind friend Mrs. Sieder,
or paid my visit without any explanation to the slaves, and have never
met with the slightest opposition. On quitting, it is necessary to give
a present to the chief eunuch, or to the doorkeeper.

After paying this visit, I called on my old friends, the hareem of
Habeeb Efendee; and I confess I approached their house with some
apprehension that, instead of their usual hearty welcome, I might meet
with a cold reception, during the present state of things. England and
France having lately required of the Sultán a concession which every
Christian must ardently desire, but which it is almost impossible for
him, as a Muslim sovereign, to grant, and the result being not yet
known, it was particularly agreeable to our feelings, in visiting his
near relations, to find the whole family prepared to welcome us with
even more than their usual affection. The ladies in that hareem being
particularly well-informed, the conversation during our visit takes
always a lively, and often a political turn; and as soon as we were
seated yesterday, the passing events were discussed, and the question of
liberty of conscience on religious subjects soon introduced. But here I
must digress, to remark to you one circumstance which much pleased me.
While I was in conversation with a lady who was sitting next to me, we
both heard the whole company, consisting of the daughters and several
visitors, suddenly rise, and, following their example immediately, I
observed that the chief lady was entering the room. Very delightful is
this outward respect for parents, which is not here, as in England,
confined to a few of the families of the great; and when accompanied
with that devotion of heart so evident in the conduct of the daughters
of Habeeb Efendee. Their veneration for their amiable mother is
complete; while they are permitted by her, in their conversation and
manners, to indulge in the sweetest familiarity of affection.

This good lady saluted us in her usual charming manner, and took her
seat, placing me, as she always has done, on her right hand; after which
all resumed their places, and she listened with extreme interest to our
conversation, which was translated to her into Turkish by her daughters.
In common with all the Turkish ladies I have seen in this country, the
wife of Habeeb Efendee speaks sufficient Arabic for the usual purposes
of conversation; but when any particularly interesting topic is
discussed, they all like it explained in their own language.

The eldest daughter requested to be informed particularly of the nature
of the demand lately made by England and France on the Sultán; and when
it was explained that he was required to protect from martyrdom such
persons who, having been originally Christian, had become Muslims, and
subsequently returned to their first profession, she replied, with an
earnestness of manner which interested my friend and me extremely, “It
is but the fulfilment of prophecy! When I was a little child, I was
taught that, in this year, great things would commence, which would
require three years for their completion.”

Surely she drew a beautiful conclusion, and under circumstances, too, of
painful feelings to one strictly attached to the laws of her religion.
And here I must faithfully observe, that I have not met with this lady’s
equal in Eastern female society, in gentleness, sweetness, and good
sense; and, withal, she has decidedly a cultivated mind. The Hon. Mrs.
Damer has very agreeably described this lady in her “Tour,” and has
particularly mentioned her affection for her mother. I must not omit to
tell you of the curiosity of the whole hareem on the subject of Mrs.
Damer’s book. They had been informed that she had described them, and
questioned us closely on the subject. We had much pleasure in assuring
them that the description in that lady’s work consisted in honourable
mention of her reception by the hareem, and of their agreeable manners,
and perfect politeness and cordiality. They inquired the exact period of
her visit, that they might perfectly recall her to their recollection.
Secluded as they are, they remember the visits of Europeans as eras in
their lives; and I am persuaded that they feel the pleasure they so
agreeably express when we pay them a visit.

Mrs. Sieder has shown them the portrait of the present Sultán in Mrs.
Damer’s book; and the eldest daughter has made a copy of it in colours,
very creditable to a Turkish lady. It will doubtless excite great
interest in every visitor of the family; and, unless protected by a
glass, it will perhaps, in the course of a few weeks, be kissed entirely
away, like a miniature portrait of a Turkish grandee of which I was
lately told.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPENDIX.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPENDIX.

[From Mr. Lane’s “Modern Egyptians.”]

MAGIC.

A few days after my first arrival in this country, my curiosity was
excited on the subject of magic by a circumstance related to me by Mr.
Salt, our consul-general. Having had reason to believe that one of his
servants was a thief, from the fact of several articles of property
having been stolen from his house, he sent for a celebrated Magh-rab’ee
magician, with the view of intimidating them and causing the guilty one
(if any of them were guilty) to confess his crime. The magician came;
and said that he would cause the exact image of the person who had
committed the thefts to appear to any youth not arrived at the age of
puberty; and desired the master of the house to call in any boy whom he
might choose. As several boys were then employed in a garden adjacent to
the house, one of them was called for this purpose. In the palm of this
boy’s right hand the magician drew, with a pen, a certain diagram, in
the centre of which he poured a little ink. Into this ink he desired the
boy steadfastly to look. He then burned some incense and several bits of
paper inscribed with charms; and, at the same time, called for various
objects to appear in the ink. The boy declared that he saw all these
objects, and, last of all, the image of the guilty person; he described
his stature, countenance and dress; said that he knew him; and directly
ran down into the garden, and apprehended one of the labourers, who,
when brought before the master, immediately confessed that he was the
thief.

The above relation made me desirous of witnessing a similar performance
during my first visit to this country; but not being acquainted with the
name of the magician here alluded to, or his place of abode, I was
unable to obtain any tidings of him. I learned, however, soon after my
return to England, that he had become known to later travellers in
Egypt; was residing in Cairo; and that he was called the sheykh
’Abd-El-Kádir El-Maghrab’ee. A few weeks after my second arrival in
Egypt, my neighbour ’Osmán, interpreter of the British consulate,
brought him to me; and I fixed a day for his visiting me, to give me a
proof of the skill for which he is so much famed. He came at the time
appointed, about two hours before noon; but seemed uneasy; frequently
looked up at the sky, through the window; and remarked that the weather
was unpropitious; it was dull and cloudy, and the wind was boisterous.
The experiment was performed with three boys; one after another. With
the first it was perfectly successful; but with the others, it
completely failed. The magician said that he could do nothing more that
day; and that he would come in the evening of a subsequent day. He kept
his appointment; and admitted that the time was favourable. While
waiting for my neighbour, before mentioned, to come and witness the
performances, we took pipes and coffee; and the magician chatted with me
on indifferent subjects. He is a fine, tall, and stout man, of a rather
fair complexion, with a dark-brown beard; is shabbily dressed; and
generally wears a large green turban, being a descendant of the prophet.
In his conversation, he is affable and unaffected. He professed to me
that his wonders were effected by the agency of _good_ spirits; but to
others, he has said the reverse—that his magic is Satanic.

In preparing for the experiment of the magic mirror of ink, which, like
some other performances of a similar nature, is here termed _darb
el-mendel_, the magician first asked me for a reed-pen and ink, a piece
of paper, and a pair of scissors; and, having cut off a narrow strip of
paper, wrote upon it certain forms of invocation, together with another
charm, by which he professes to accomplish the object of the experiment.
He did not attempt to conceal these; and on my asking him to give me
copies of them, he readily consented, and immediately wrote them for me;
explaining to me, at the same time, that the object he had in view was
accompanied through the influence of the two first words, “Tarshun” and
“Taryooshun,” which, he said, were the names of two genii, his “familiar
spirits.” I compared the copies with the originals; and found that they
exactly agreed.

“Tarshun! Taryooshun! Come down!
Come down! Be present! Whither are gone
the prince and his troops? Where are El-Ahmar
the prince and his troops? Be present,
ye servants of these names!”

“And this is the removal. ‘And we have removed from thee
thy veil; and thy sight to-day
is piercing.’ Correct: correct.”

Having written these, the magician cut off the paper containing the
forms of invocation from that upon which the other charm was written;
and cut the former into six strips. He then explained to me that the
object of the latter charm (which contains part of the 21st verse of the
Soorat Káf, or 50th chapter of the Kur-án) was to open the boy’s eyes in
a supernatural manner; to make his sight pierce into what is to us the
invisible world.

I had prepared by the magician’s direction, some frankincense and
coriander-seed,[47] and a chafing-dish with some live charcoal in it.
These were now brought into the room, together with the boy who was to
be employed: he had been called in, by my desire, from among some boys
in the street, returning from a manufactory: and was about eight or nine
years of age. In reply to my inquiry respecting the description of
persons who could see in the magic mirror of ink, the magician said that
they were a boy not arrived at puberty, a virgin, a black female slave,
and a pregnant woman. The chafing-dish was placed before him and the
boy; and the latter was placed on a seat. The magician now desired my
servant to put some frankincense and coriander-seed into the
chafing-dish; then, taking hold of the boy’s right hand, he drew, in the
palm of it, a magic square, of which a copy is here given. The figures
which it contains are Arabic numerals.[48] In the centre, he poured a
little ink, and desired the boy to look into it, and tell him if he
could see his face reflected in it; the boy replied that he saw his face
clearly. The magician, holding the boy’s hand all the while,[49] told
him to continue looking intently into the ink; and not to raise his
head.

Footnote 47:

He generally requires some benzoin to be added to these.

Footnote 48:

The numbers in this magic square, in our own ordinary characters, are
as follows:—

┌──┬──┬──┐
│4 │9 │2 │
├──┼──┼──┤
│3 │5 │7 │
├──┼──┼──┤
│8 │1 │6 │
└──┴──┴──┘

It will be seen that the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal rows give
each the same sum, namely, 15.

Footnote 49:

This reminds us of animal magnetism.

He then took one of the little strips of paper inscribed with the forms
of invocation, and dropped it into the chafing-dish, upon the burning
coals and perfumes, which had already filled the room with their smoke;
and as he did this, he commenced an indistinct muttering of words, which
he continued during the whole process, excepting when he had to ask the
boy a question, or to tell him what he was to say. The piece of paper
containing the words from the Kur-án, he placed inside the fore part of
the boy’s tákeeyeh, or skull-cap. He then asked him if he saw any thing
in the ink; and was answered “No;” but about a minute after, the boy,
trembling, and seeming much frightened, said, “I see a man sweeping the
ground.” “When he has done sweeping,” said the magician, “tell me.”
Presently the boy said, “He has done.” The magician then again
interrupted his muttering to ask the boy if he knew what a _beyrak_ (or
flag) was; and being answered “Yes,” desired him to say, “Bring a flag.”
The boy did so; and soon said, “He has brought a flag.” “What colour is
it?” asked the magician: the boy replied “Red.” He was told to call for
another flag; which he did; and soon after he said that he saw another
brought; and that it was black. In like manner, he was told to call for
a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh; which he described as being
successively brought before him; specifying their colours, as white,
green, black, red, and blue. The magician then asked him (as he did,
also, each time that a new flag was described as being brought), “How
many flags have you now before you?” “Seven,” answered the boy. While
this was going on, the magician put the second and third of the small
strips of paper upon which the forms of invocation were written, into
the chafing-dish; and fresh frankincense and coriander-seed having been
repeatedly added, the fumes became painful to the eyes. When the boy had
described the seven flags as appearing to him, he was desired to say,
“Bring the Sultán’s tent; and pitch it.” This he did; and in about a
minute after, he said, “Some men have brought the tent; a large green
tent: they are pitching it;” and presently he added, “they have set it
up.” “Now,” said the magician, “order the soldiers to come, and to pitch
their camp around the tent of the Sultán.” The boy did as he was
desired; and immediately said, “I see a great many soldiers, with their
tents: they have pitched their tents.” He was then told to order that
the soldiers should be drawn up in ranks; and, having done so, he
presently said, that he saw them thus arranged. The magician had put the
fourth of the little strips of paper into the chafing-dish; and soon
after, he did the same with the fifth. He now said, “Tell some of the
people to bring a bull.” The boy gave the order required, and said, “I
see a bull: it is red: four men are dragging it along; and three are
beating it.” He was told to desire them to kill it, and cut it up, and
to put the meat in saucepans, and cook it. He did as he was directed;
and described these operations as apparently performed before his eyes.
“Tell the soldiers,” said the magician, “to eat it.” The boy did so; and
said, “They are eating it. They have done; and are washing their hands.”
The magician then told him to call for the Sultán; and the boy, having
done this, said, “I see the Sultán riding to his tent, on a bay horse;
and he has on his head a high red cap: he has alighted at his tent, and
sat down within it.” “Desire them to bring coffee to the Sultán,” said
the magician, “and to form the court.” These orders were given by the
boy; and he said that he saw them performed. The magician had put the
last of the six little strips of paper into the chafing-dish. In his
mutterings I distinguished nothing but the words of the written
invocation, frequently repeated, excepting on two or three occasions,
when I heard him say, “If they demand information, inform them; and be
ye veracious.” But much that he repeated was inaudible, and as I did not
ask him to teach me his art, I do not pretend to assert that I am fully
acquainted with his invocations.

He now addressed himself to me; and asked me if I wished the boy to see
any person who was absent or dead. I named Lord Nelson; of whom the boy
had evidently never heard; for it was with much difficulty that he
pronounced the name, after several trials. The magician desired the boy
to say to the Sultán—“My master salutes thee, and desires thee to bring
Lord Nelson: bring him before my eyes, that I may see him, speedily.”
The boy then said so; and almost immediately added, “A messenger is
gone, and has returned, and brought a man, dressed in a black[50] suit
of European clothes: the man has lost his left arm.” He then paused for
a moment or two; and, looking more intently, and more closely into the
ink, said, “No, he has not lost his left arm; but it is placed to his
breast.” This correction made his description more striking than it had
been without it: since Lord Nelson generally had his empty sleeve
attached to the breast of his coat: but it was the _right_ arm that he
had lost. Without saying that I suspected the boy had made a mistake, I
asked the magician whether the objects appeared in the ink as if
actually before the eyes, or as if in a glass, which makes the right
appear left. He answered, that they appeared as in a mirror. This
rendered the boy’s description faultless.[51]

Footnote 50:

Dark blue is called, by the modern Egyptians, _eswed_, which properly
signifies _black_, and is therefore so translated here.

Footnote 51:

Whenever I desired the boy to call for any person, to appear, I paid
particular attention both to the magician and to ’Osmán. The latter
gave no direction either by word or sign; and indeed he was generally
unacquainted with the personal appearance of the individual called
for. I took care that he had no previous communication with the boys;
and have seen the experiment fail when he _could_ have given
directions to them, or to the magician. In short, it would be
difficult to conceive any precaution which I did not take. It is
important to add, that the dialect of the magician was more
intelligible to me than the boy. When _I_ understood him perfectly at
once, he was sometimes obliged to vary his words to make the _boy_
comprehend what he said.

The next person I called for was a native of Egypt, who has been for
many years resident in England, where he has adopted our dress; and who
had been long confined to his bed by illness before I embarked for this
country: I thought that his name, one not very uncommon in Egypt, might
make the boy describe him incorrectly; though another boy, on the former
visit of the magician, had described this same person as wearing a
European dress, like that in which I last saw him. In the present case
the boy said, “Here is a man brought on a kind of bier, wrapped up in a
sheet.” This description would suit, supposing the person in question to
be still confined to his bed, or if he be dead.[52] The boy described
his face as covered; and was told to order that it should be uncovered.
This he did; and then said, “His face is pale; and he has mustaches, but
no beard:” which is correct.

Footnote 52:

A few months after this was written, I had the pleasure of hearing
that the person here alluded to was in better health. Whether he was
confined to his bed at the time when this experiment was performed, I
have not been able to ascertain.

Several other persons were successively called for; but the boy’s
descriptions of them were imperfect; though not altogether incorrect. He
represented each object as appearing less distinct than the preceding
one; as if his sight were gradually becoming dim: he was a minute, or
more, before he could give any account of the persons he professed to
see towards the close of the performance; and the magician said it was
useless to proceed with him. Another boy was then brought in; and the
magic square, &c. made in his hand; but he could see nothing. The
magician said he was too old.

Though completely puzzled, I was somewhat disappointed with his
performances, for they fell short of what he had accomplished, in many
instances, in presence of certain of my friends and countrymen. On one
of these occasions, an Englishman present ridiculed the performance, and
said that nothing would satisfy him but a correct description of the
appearance of his own father, of whom, he was sure, no one of the
company had any knowledge. The boy, accordingly, having called by name
for the person alluded to, described a man in a Frank dress, with his
hand placed to his head, wearing spectacles, and with one foot on the
ground, and the other raised behind him, as if he were stepping down
from a seat. The description was exactly true in every respect: the
peculiar position of the hand was occasioned by an almost constant
headache: and that of the foot or leg, by a stiff knee, caused by a fall
from a horse, in hunting. I am assured that, on this occasion, the boy
accurately described each person and thing that was called for. On
another occasion, Shakspeare was described with the most minute
correctness, both as to person and dress; and I might add several other
cases in which the same magician has excited astonishment in the sober
minds of Englishmen of my acquaintance. A short time since, after
performing in the usual manner, by means of a boy, he prepared the magic
mirror in the hand of a young English lady, who, on looking into it for
a little while, said that she saw a broom sweeping the ground without
any body holding it, and was so much frightened that she would look no
longer.

I have stated these facts partly from my own experience, and partly as
they came to my knowledge on the authority of respectable persons. The
reader may be tempted to think that, in each instance, the boy saw
images produced by some reflection in the ink; but this was evidently
not the case; or that he was a confederate, or guided by leading
questions. That there was no collusion, I satisfactorily ascertained, by
selecting the boy who performed the part above described in my presence
from a number of others passing by in the street, and by his rejecting a
present which I afterwards offered him with the view of inducing him to
confess that he did not really see what he had professed to have seen. I
tried the veracity of another boy on a subsequent occasion in the same
manner; and the result was the same. The experiment often entirely
fails; but when the boy employed is right in one case, he generally is
so in all: when he gives, at first, an account altogether wrong, the
magician usually dismisses him at once, saying that he is too old.[53]
The perfumes, or excited imagination, or fear, may be supposed to affect
the vision of the boy who describes objects as appearing to him in the
ink; but, if so, why does he see exactly what is required, and objects
of which he can have had no previous particular notion? Neither I nor
others have been able to discover any clue by which to penetrate the
mystery; and if the reader be alike unable to give the solution, I hope
that he will not allow the above account to induce in his mind any
degree of scepticism with respect to other portions of this work.”

Footnote 53:

It has been suggested (in the “Quarterly Review,” No. 117) that the
performances were effected by means of pictures and a concave mirror;
and that the images of the former were reflected from the surface of
the mirror, and received on a cloud of smoke under the eyes of the
boy. This, however, I cannot admit; because such means could not have
been employed without my perceiving them; nor would the images be
_reversed_ (unless the pictures were so) by being reflected from the
surface of a mirror, and received upon a _second surface_; for the boy
was looking _down_ upon the palm of his hand, so that an image could
not be formed upon the smoke (which was copious, but not dense)
between his eye and the supposed mirror.

THE END.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

● Transcriber’s Notes:
○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
○ Typographical errors were silently corrected.
○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only
when a predominant form was found in this book.
○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).

*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Englishwoman in Egypt - Letters from Cairo" ***

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